BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 290
CURRENT ADP: ~335 overall
ANALYSIS: The Minnesota Twins have one of the most robust rotations in all of baseball, and with Anthony DeSclafani (who was projected as their fifth starter) set to start the season on the shelf, we are about to see Varland crack the rotation out of Spring Training.
To help him try and lock down a starting role in 2024, the 26-year-old has been working on improving his two-seam fastball and slider. He finished with a 4.63 ERA (5.02 FIP) and 1.22 WHIP with 17 walks and 71 strikeouts in 68 innings over 17 appearances (10 starts) for the Twins in his second big-league season in 2023. Varland impressed as a reliever, as he had a 1.50 ERA with 17 K's and just one walk in 12 innings while showing improved velocity to close out the year.
Louie Varland’s spring for the #MNTwins through 4 outings:
11.0 IP 6 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 11 K
Seems good
— Ted (@tlschwerz) March 13, 2024
This Spring he has looked dominant with increased velocity on his fastball and a bunch of whiffs on his slider. He might have the most upside of any pitcher being taken this late in drafts, especially now that he has locked down a rotation spot to start the season.
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