Louie Varland

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #9 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: When he made his MLB debut against the Yankees on Sept. 7, Varland became the first player in Division II Concordia (Minn.) history to reach the big leagues. His biggest competition for that honor was his older brother. Gus Varland, a fellow alum of the St. Paul school, pitched in Double-A in 2022, but Louie reached the majors first. Louie Varland is a scouting and development success story as a 15th-round pick in 2019 who has steadily gotten better each year as a pro.
  
  Scouting Report: Varland draws raves for his willingness to work and his ability to absorb and process instruction. When Varland arrived at Concordia, he generally sat in the mid 80s. These days he throws nearly 10 mph harder, with a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and touches 98 thanks to plenty of time in the weight room. He's also steadily developed his secondary offerings. Early in his pro career, Varland developed an average changeup. Now his slider has improved from well below-average to average. He has added sweep to it, making it more of a swing-and-miss pitch. He has started to throw a fringe-average 88-90 mph cutter. It's important, because while his slider is a chase pitch, his cutter is something he consistently throws for strikes. It enhances his slider's effectiveness because now he can steal a strike if hitters read spin and lay off his cutter. Varland doesn't have a true plus pitch, but he generates deception from a slightly closed delivery and has plus control.
  
  The Future: Varland is the next in what has been a long line of Twins' crafty righthanders. He projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter who should compete for a big league job in spring training.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Cutter: 45. Control: 60
• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #12 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: A relatively unheralded draft prospect, Varland is a local product—he grew up in St. Paul and went to college there as well—who signed in the 15th round for $115,000. He turned in an exceptional first full pro season, winning the Twins minor league pitcher of the year award after posting a 2.10 ERA between Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids.
  
  Scouting Report: Varland’s success has come with increased fastball velocity. After pitching in the 90-92 mph range as an amateur, Varland’s fastball sat in the 94-95 mph range this season, peaking at 98-99 mph. It’s a flat approach angle fastball that he throws for strikes well and earns plus grades. Varland’s most-used secondary is a hard slider in the mid 80s that gets average grades. He also throws an average changeup in the upper-80s that has good sink and could improve in the future, plus an occasional, show-me curveball in the upper 80s with solid raw spin rates, but below-average scouting grades. Varland’s been an average strike-thrower in the past, but this season he walked just 2.6 batters per nine.
  
  The Future: Varland has the repertoire and control to be a back-end starter with his newfound fastball velocity and has a fallback option as a hard-throwing reliever otherwise.
  

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: When he made his MLB debut against the Yankees on Sept. 7, Varland became the first player in Division II Concordia (Minn.) history to reach the big leagues. His biggest competition for that honor was his older brother. Gus Varland, a fellow alum of the St. Paul school, pitched in Double-A in 2022, but Louie reached the majors first. Louie Varland is a scouting and development success story as a 15th-round pick in 2019 who has steadily gotten better each year as a pro.
  
  Scouting Report: Varland draws raves for his willingness to work and his ability to absorb and process instruction. When Varland arrived at Concordia, he generally sat in the mid 80s. These days he throws nearly 10 mph harder, with a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and touches 98 thanks to plenty of time in the weight room. He's also steadily developed his secondary offerings. Early in his pro career, Varland developed an average changeup. Now his slider has improved from well below-average to average. He has added sweep to it, making it more of a swing-and-miss pitch. He has started to throw a fringe-average 88-90 mph cutter. It's important, because while his slider is a chase pitch, his cutter is something he consistently throws for strikes. It enhances his slider's effectiveness because now he can steal a strike if hitters read spin and lay off his cutter. Varland doesn't have a true plus pitch, but he generates deception from a slightly closed delivery and has plus control.
  
  The Future: Varland is the next in what has been a long line of Twins' crafty righthanders. He projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter who should compete for a big league job in spring training.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Cutter: 45. Control: 60
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: When he made his MLB debut against the Yankees on Sept. 7, Varland became the first player in Division II Concordia (Minn.) history to reach the big leagues. His biggest competition for that honor was his older brother. Gus Varland, a fellow alum of the St. Paul school, pitched in Double-A in 2022, but Louie reached the majors first. Louie Varland is a scouting and development success story as a 15th-round pick in 2019 who has steadily gotten better each year as a pro.
  
  Scouting Report: Varland draws raves for his willingness to work and his ability to absorb and process instruction. When Varland arrived at Concordia, he generally sat in the mid 80s. These days he throws nearly 10 mph harder, with a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and touches 98 thanks to plenty of time in the weight room. He's also steadily developed his secondary offerings. Early in his pro career, Varland developed an average changeup. Now his slider has improved from well below-average to average. He has added sweep to it, making it more of a swing-and-miss pitch. He has started to throw a fringe-average 88-90 mph cutter. It's important, because while his slider is a chase pitch, his cutter is something he consistently throws for strikes. It enhances his slider's effectiveness because now he can steal a strike if hitters read spin and lay off his cutter. Varland doesn't have a true plus pitch, but he generates deception from a slightly closed delivery and has plus control.
  
  The Future: Varland is the next in what has been a long line of Twins' crafty righthanders. He projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter who should compete for a big league job in spring training.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Cutter: 45. Control: 60
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: A relatively unheralded draft prospect, Varland is a local product—he grew up in St. Paul and went to college there as well—who signed in the 15th round for $115,000. He turned in an exceptional first full pro season, winning the Twins minor league pitcher of the year award after posting a 2.10 ERA between Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids.
  
  Scouting Report: Varland&#39s success has come with increased fastball velocity. After pitching in the 90-92 mph range as an amateur, Varland&#39s fastball sat in the 94-95 mph range this season, peaking at 98-99 mph. It&#39s a flat approach angle fastball that he throws for strikes well and earns plus grades. Varland&#39s most-used secondary is a hard slider in the mid 80s that gets average grades. He also throws an average changeup in the upper-80s that has good sink and could improve in the future, plus an occasional, show-me curveball in the upper 80s with solid raw spin rates, but below-average scouting grades. Varland&#39s been an average strike-thrower in the past, but this season he walked just 2.6 batters per nine.
  
  The Future: Varland has the repertoire and control to be a back-end starter with his newfound fastball velocity and has a fallback option as a hard-throwing reliever otherwise.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: A relatively unheralded draft prospect, Varland is a local product—he grew up in St. Paul and went to college there as well—who signed in the 15th round for $115,000. He turned in an exceptional first full pro season, winning the Twins minor league pitcher of the year award after posting a 2.10 ERA between Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids.
  
  Scouting Report: Varland’s success has come with increased fastball velocity. After pitching in the 90-92 mph range as an amateur, Varland’s fastball sat in the 94-95 mph range this season, peaking at 98-99 mph. It’s a flat approach angle fastball that he throws for strikes well and earns plus grades. Varland’s most-used secondary is a hard slider in the mid 80s that gets average grades. He also throws an average changeup in the upper-80s that has good sink and could improve in the future, plus an occasional, show-me curveball in the upper 80s with solid raw spin rates, but below-average scouting grades. Varland’s been an average strike-thrower in the past, but this season he walked just 2.6 batters per nine.
  
  The Future: Varland has the repertoire and control to be a back-end starter with his newfound fastball velocity and has a fallback option as a hard-throwing reliever otherwise.