The Nats pitching staff has been up and down to start the season, with more downs lately. However, one guy who has been impressing me lately is Gus Varland. He is not a well known name, and he has bounced around, but I have liked what I have seen from the 29 year old. I had the chance to chat with him a bit earlier today.
He is clearly a sharp and introspective guy. One thing he talked about was his search to find confidence. After a couple rough outings in Spring Training, he said he talked to the
Nats pitching coaches about the mental side of his game. He wanted to solve the “age old question of how you get confidence”.
For him, there are two ways to get confidence, either through results or through a strong mentality. Varland wanted to gain a more confident mentality. I loved how he described his new approach. He said, “If I am going to pitch today in the big leagues, am I going to be scared or am I going to be confident. I am choosing to be confident no matter what happens”.
This is something that applies to life as well as sports. Varland’s winding path has given him plenty of reasons to be scared or discouraged, but right now, he is choosing to be confident.
With his stuff, there is reason to be confident as well. Varland has a dynamic fastball/slider mix. The heater has a ton of life at the top of the zone and the slider looks like the fastball until it drops off the table. So far, Varland has been executing those pitches at a high level as well.
Varland was one of a few guys who the Nats have picked up off of waivers. The waivers process is unique, and players can be unaware of their fate for many days. Varland said he was in limbo for five days this time, before landing with the Nats. It was not the first time Varland has been in DFA limbo, but it still must be a very odd experience.
Back in 2024, Varland actually spent some time with the Dodgers, before getting DFA’d and going to the White Sox. That means he knows some of the players, and was Shohei Ohtani’s teammate at one point. Varland has gotten the better of Ohtani so far this series, striking him out twice. He called that experience, “the best because he is the best. The fact I can get him out gives me even more confidence”.
Ohtani and Varland actually have a history beyond just being teammates. When his mother was courageously battling cancer, Ohtani actually made a donation and covered a large part of the medical expenses. Varland’s mom is now cancer free!
While that was obviously an awesome story, Varland is now carving his own path in DC. If he keeps pitching like he has so far this season, he will be in high leverage spots before too long. The one thing Varland thinks he needs to do to get there is improve his execution.
Execution is something Varland touched on a couple times, and it is something that is important for him. He will mix in a changeup on rare occasions, but Varland is basically a two pitch pitcher. That makes command very important. Hitters know what is coming, but if Varland is commanding it well, hitters will still struggle.
After talking to him, Varland is a guy I will definitely be rooting for. He missed almost all of last season, and he told me that he has had four different surgeries in his career. However, despite all the adversity he has faced on and off the field, Gus Varland is confident and ready to prove himself with the Washington Nationals.
