Gus Varland Stats & Scouting Report College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Track Record: Varland posted a 1.04 ERA as a junior at Division II Concordia-St. Paul and was drafted by the Athletics in the 14th round after the 2018 season. The Dodgers acquired him in the trade that sent Adam Kolarek to Oakland, but lost him when the Brewers selected him in the Rule 5 draft.

BA Grade: 40/Medium

Track Record: Varland posted a 1.04 ERA as a junior at Division II Concordia-St. Paul and was drafted by the Athletics in the 14th round after the 2018 season. The Dodgers acquired him in the trade that sent Adam Kolarek to Oakland, but lost him when the Brewers selected him in the Rule 5 draft. Varland made his major league debut with the Brewers in 2023 and logged an 11.42 ERA in eight appearances, but he flourished after being returned to the Dodgers in May. Varland emerged as a dominant setup man at Triple-A Oklahoma City and posted a 3.09 ERA in eight Dodgers appearances before right knee inflammation ended his season.

Scouting Report: Varland is an aggressive, hard-throwing reliever who relies on arm strength. His plus-plus, riding fastball sits 96-97 mph, touches 99, and overwhelms hitters at the top of the strike zone. He throws his fastball liberally and is not afraid to challenge hitters with it. Varland’s short, 89-91 mph slider flashes average to give him a viable secondary, but it’s extremely inconsistent and needs refinement. He also has a below-average changeup he rarely throws. Varland has an effortful delivery and fringe-average control, but he throws his fastball for strikes enough to be effective in short bursts.

The Future: Varland’s arm strength gives him a chance to be a middle-to-late inning reliever if he can refine his secondaries. He’ll be in the Dodgers’ bullpen mix in 2024.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45

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