4 Things to Watch During Louie Varland's Debut

Louie Varland's rise from 15th-round pick to top pitching prospect has been well documented at Twins Daily. Since the Twins drafted him, there have been over 50 articles where he has been tagged at the site. Varland, a St. Paul native, will be debuting for his hometown team with the added pressure of being in a tight division race. Here are some things to watch as he debuts against the New York Yankees. 

1. Fastball Velocity
Throughout his collegiate career, Varland topped out in the low 90s with his fastball. With no 2020 minor league season, he used his time to rework his arm action to put less stress on his joints. These changes allowed him to see a significant jump in velocity as he averaged 94 mph during the 2021 season, and he can now reach into the high 90s. He will likely have some adrenaline pumping during his debut, so he will likely be able to reach back and hit the higher end of his velocity range. 
 

2. Strikeout Totals
Striking out batters in the minor leagues differs from attacking hitters at the big-league level. Throughout his professional career, Varland has posted 11.3 K/9, including 10.4 K/9 in 2022 at Double- and Triple-A. He has struck out seven or more batters in three of four Triple-A appearances. Unfortunately, the Yankees don't strike out much as their 22.2 K% ranks 7th in the American League. Varland can hope that New York will be unfamiliar with his repertoire since none of their batters have faced him. 

3. Minimizing Home Runs
Yankee Stadium is famous for its short outfield porch that allows for more regular home runs. As a right-handed hurler, Varland will likely face multiple lefties in the Yankees line-up. During the 2022 season, lefties have hit .249/.320/.385 (.704) with eight home runs against Varland. For his career, he has allowed 0.8 HR/9, including 15 home runs in 24 appearances this season. Luckily, many of the Bronx Bombers' best hitters are right-handed, including Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and DJ LeMahieu. Judge's bat in this series has already hurt Minnesota, so Varland needs to minimize the damage done by the long ball. 

4. Enjoy the Moment
Pitching at Yankee Stadium can be a thoroughly unenjoyable experience, but players only get one chance to make their big-league debut. Varland has been a great story to follow throughout the last two seasons. The Twins named him the organization's minor league pitcher of the year last season, and he has a chance to win back-to-back honors. He and his family also have deep roots in the Twin Cities. Varland was born in St. Paul and attended college at the same school as his brother, a prospect in the Dodgers organization. Twins fans have clamored for this front office regime to produce pitching prospects, and Varland is one of the best starting pitchers produced under their watch.

What will you keep an eye on during Varland's debut? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.