Louis Varland sat down with FanSided's Adam Weinrib at All-Star Game media day, and the Blue Jays closer made clear Toronto has become exactly that, home.
"I would say I'm pretty comfortable in Toronto now," Varland said. "It took me a couple of weeks over there to really find my groove. But I'm comfortable now."
That comfort has translated into results that make him one of the most valuable pieces on this roster.
Toronto acquired Varland at last year's deadline, sending pitching prospect Kendry Rojas and outfielder Alan Roden to Minnesota in return.
He posted a 4.94 ERA in his first 23.2 innings with the Blue Jays, numbers that didn't fully hint at what was coming in October.
The playoffs changed everything. Varland appeared in 15 of Toronto's 18 postseason games, throwing 16 innings with a 3.94 ERA, 17 strikeouts and just three walks.
He started Game Four of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium, striking out two and allowing just one hit over 1.1 innings as Toronto protected a 2-1 series lead.
Why the second half needs even more from him
"It definitely felt big beating them at Yankee Stadium," Varland said. "It's not as good as doing it at home, but I would say it's the next best spot."
This season he's been even better, sitting at 19-for-19 in save opportunities with a 1.10 ERA, the best mark in baseball among pitchers with at least 40 innings.
Toronto enters the break at 45-51, dead last in the American League East but only 2.5 games out of a wild card spot, close enough that one strong week changes everything.
It's a bit like carrying a house on your back while everyone else stands around admiring the foundation.
Varland isn't a free agent until 2031, giving Toronto a rare kind of cost certainty at a position that usually costs a fortune on the open market.
Does the rest of this roster finally start pulling its weight in the second half, or does Varland keep single-handedly propping up a team that hasn't earned his kind of consistency?
Can the Blue Jays make a real second-half push if the rest of the roster doesn't match Louis Varland's level?
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