Louis Varland has established himself as the ace in the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen. He brings an unflappable mound presence along with a high strikeout ability (35.8% strikeout rate). He's also boasting with a 0.70 ERA that ranks second among qualified relievers. 

Varland prevails as a top-five closer in MLB with his high-leverage success. The 28-year-old pitches with massive composure and possesses solid command on the mound. He is known for consistently limiting damage in crucial, game-saving situations, which is what has made him so lethal. 

Manager John Schneider has continued to praise Varland for the fire and fearlessness he displays in high-stakes situations. 

The ace earned himself AL Reliever of the Month on May 4, sporting a 0.56 ERA and giving up just one earned run across 16 innings. He also successfully converted all four of his save opportunities following a role change in the pen.  

The transformation of the back end of the Blue Jays' bullpen by changing Jeff Hoffman and Varland's roles has made a huge difference. 

With the praise has also come trust. He has inevitably demonstrated solid durability to pitch on back-to-back days (May 19-20) and is doing it with the utmost composure. 

How Louis Varland has become a premier reliever for the Blue Jays

In his last 25 games, Varland has been superior with a 0.65 ERA, 40 strikeouts, and a 1.19 FIP across 27.2 innings pitched. He also owns the lowest ERA among pitchers with 25+ IP this season. 

In his most recent performance, Varland recorded a six-out save against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Varland's ability to retire batters efficiently comes from his curveball, which he locates at the bottom of the zone, and has been a significant weapon in his arsenal. 

It produces frequent swing-and-misses while generating a 32.8% whiff rate. Varland's breakout success has made him a huge success story who has also gotten the most out of his fastball. 

By consistently throwing his four-seamer for strikes and locating it at the top of the zone, he has produced a 31.6% whiff rate and limited batters to a .200 batting average against it. 

Varland's effectiveness in producing ground balls (57.9% groundball rate) has also made him a standout. The combo of his devastating knuckle-curveball and sharp changeup makes it impossible for hitters to barrel up (0% barrel rate).