Louis Varland just handed the Blue Jays a closer season that belongs in the same conversation as Tom Henke.

With the offseason underway this October, it's worth sitting with what the right-hander pulled off. Toronto hasn't had a ninth-inning arm this dominant in a long time.

Henke still owns the franchise record with 217 saves. Duane Ward sits second with 121.

Jordan Romano gave Toronto a few strong years early in the 2020s, and Ken Giles had his moments too. Neither looked like this.

Varland posted a 1.27 ERA across 78 innings in 2026.

No pitcher with 50 or more innings finished lower. Former Blue Jay Bryan Baker, now closing in Tampa Bay, came next at 1.44.

His 1.83 FIP ranked third in the majors, behind only Mason Miller and Jhoan Durán. The peripherals weren't lying about the ERA.

The one-pitch double play that handed Varland the ninth inning

And he didn't even open the year with the closer's role.

That changed on April 21. Varland replaced Jeff Hoffman with the bases loaded and one out, then needed exactly one pitch to get a double play.

It was like a plumber walking into a flooded basement and fixing it with one turn of the wrench. He never gave the job back.

From that point on, he converted 35 saves, tied for fifth in the majors, while blowing just two.

So why did it take until late April to hand him the ninth? Waiting that long was a mistake for a club that finished 79-82.

The stuff backs up every bit of it. His 31.6 K% tied for 11th among relievers with that innings threshold, and he walked just 6.6% of hitters.

He also allowed just two home runs all season. For a guy living in high-leverage spots, that's a ridiculous number.

Toronto got him from Minnesota before the 2025 deadline, sending Alan Roden and Kendry Rojas to the Twins for Varland and Ty France.

He was carrying a 2.02 ERA over 51 games with his home-state club at the time.

August 2025 was rough. A solid September pulled him back into John Schneider's circle of trust.

Then he set the record for most appearances in a single postseason, pitching in 17 games as Toronto pushed all the way to Game 7 of the World Series.

The Sporting News already noticed, naming him to its American League All-Star team.

Henke's franchise record still looks a long way off. But at 28, Varland is the first Blue Jays closer in years who makes it feel like a target instead of a museum piece.