Louis Varland Felt At Home As An Opposing Player At Target Field

Minneapolis – Louis Varland didn’t feel out of place when he came into the visiting clubhouse for the first time as an opposing player at Target Field.

He had worked as a part-time attendant, unloading equipment for visiting teams while he was still attending Concordia St. Paul. His pitching coach, Marcus McKenzie, has been the full-time visiting clubhouse manager at Target Field since 2018.

The game time temperature was 50 degrees, but felt closer to 40 on Thursday, which may have been a bother for some of Varland’s Toronto Blue Jays teammates. However, to him, it’s just another spring baseball game in Minnesota.

“It’s nice being back here,” Varland said. “It’s kind of like the weather I’m used to. I grew up in this, so that was nice.”

The feelings may have been bittersweet when the Minnesota Twins traded Varland to the Blue Jays last summer. The hometown hero in the Twins bullpen, along with first baseman Ty France, went on to play in the World Series. Along the way, Varland set the record for most relief appearances in a single postseason with 15.

He’d accomplished a lot in the nine months since the Wild dealt him north of the border. However, all the emotions that came on the day the team he rooted for traded him have dissipated since.

Over the first month of the 2026 season, Varland has been one of the best relievers in MLB. He’s second only to Antonio Senzatela in ERA (minimum 15 innings pitched), sitting at a 0.56 ERA in 16 innings of work. He also leads all relievers in fWAR at 1.0, fifth in strikeouts with 26, has only walked four batters, and is second to only Mason Miller of the Padres in FIP, with a 1.25 FIP on the year.

So what’s the key to Varland’s success after a taxing workload last postseason?

“It’s just kind of a shut up and pitch when you’re told mentality,” he said. “All the other stuff is kind of noise. Just doing what you’re told, and believing in it. If you believe in it, and you do it, then things should work out.”

The success comes as no surprise to Toby Gardenhire, the manager he’s pitched the most for. Varland finally caught up with his old Triple-A manager on Thursday after missing out on the opportunity when the Twins were in Toronto earlier in April.

They picked things up from where they left off the last time they saw each other in spring training 2025. Varland was more than pleased to see one of his favorite coaches finally in a big-league uniform.

“It’s great to see him up here,” said Varland. “I probably pitched for him more than any coach in my career. I love throwing the ball for him, taking the ball from him. Toby is the best. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever played for. Him and his whole family, yeah, just great people.”

“I told him out there that I’m rooting for him,” Gardenhire said. “I don’t know if I’ll be rooting for him tonight, but most of the time I’ll be rooting for him because, like I said, he’s one of my favorites.”

The early-season success has earned Varland the closer role for the time being, as Jeff Hoffman has struggled, with a 6.39 ERA and 1.81 WHIP in 14 appearances. Varland is 4-for-4 in save opportunities so far since transitioning into the role, a role he once foresaw himself having in Minnesota someday.

“I think everybody in a bullpen wants to close games as the end goal of their career. Of course, you have to earn it. I think every bullpen piece has that aspiration.”

Even with the small sample size for Varland this year, Gardenhire isn’t shocked with how he’s performed immediately and earned Toronto’s closer role.

“He’s exactly what we hoped he would be,” said Gardenhire. “He’s a bulldog on the mound; he always has been. That’s the reason, that’s one of the reasons why you love a guy like Louie Varland because of exactly what he’s doing right now, and that’s like coming in there, wanting the ball every night, going into big situations and getting it done.”

That bulldog mentality has shown up in Toronto's dugout and clubhouse after each dominant outing. It’s also rubbed off on his teammates, and the Blue Jays have improved to a 14-16 record and won seven of their last 10.

Even if things didn’t end up how Varland had hoped, he still got the rare opportunity to be drafted, developed, and pitch for his hometown team. Varland will always be grateful for his time with the Twins; now it’s just a matter of going out there and competing against them.

“It's just another series and all business,” said Varland. “Things are just working out, just doing my job, and taking it one pitch, one day at a time.”

“It’s always great to see Louie. I love the kid,” said Gardenhire. “He’s awesome, he’s a great human being, he’s a Minnesota Guy, so it’s always fun to see Lou.”