Will Louis Varland Be the Second Blue Jay To Achieve This All-Star Game Feat?

Louis Varland has been one of the top relievers in MLB, if not the best, especially in the American League. He’s thrown 46 innings prior to the Blue Jays' game on July 3, posting a 0.98 ERA, a 1.46 FIP, and a 36.2 percent strikeout rate.

Since taking over the closer role from a struggling Jeff Hoffman, Varland is a perfect 17-for-17 in save opportunities. These outstanding statistics mean he should be the go-to reliever if the American League has a lead in the ninth inning of the All-Star Game on July 14. It's hard to believe he won't be on the roster when the team is announced later today.

If Varland can pull off earning a save, that’d put him in rare company. The only Toronto Blue Jay to have a save in an All-Star Game is J.A. Happ. He earned the feat in the 2018 Midsummer Classic, pitching a scoreless 10th inning to secure an 8-6 AL victory. Ironically, it was his only save in a 15-year career, as he was a starting pitcher. 

Happ came to the Blue Jays at the 2012 trade deadline from the Houston Astros. He then spent parts of the 2013-2014 and 2016-2018 seasons with the team. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners in the offseason before the 2015 season, and the Blue Jays re-signed the lefty the next winter. They traded him again at the 2018 trade deadline, this time to the New York Yankees.

During Happ’s two stints with the Blue Jays, he compiled a 59-32 record, a 3.88 ERA, and 655 strikeouts. In 2016, he finished sixth in the Cy Young Award voting after going 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA and 163 strikeouts. The 2018 All-Star Game was Happ’s only All-Star appearance in his career. 

Since saves became an official statistic in 1969, 43 pitchers have earned a save in an All-Star game. Five players have done it multiple times: Mariano Rivera (4), Dennis Eckersley (3), Emmanuel Clase (2), Bruce Sutter (2), and Mel Harder (2).

This would be Varland’s first All-Star appearance, but the AL Reliever of the Month for March/April is poised to make a huge contribution. You can watch this year’s Midsummer Classic at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 14 at 8:00 pm ET.

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