by Liz Rudolph / A’s Farm Beloit Correspondent
Right-hander Gus Varland became the highest-drafted player in the history of Concordia-St. Paul when he was selected by the A’s in the 14th round of this year’s draft. Since then, it has been a whirlwind summer for the 21-year-old, who quickly earned a pair of promotions – from the Arizona League to Vermont in the last week of June, and then from Vermont to Beloit in the first week of August.
Varland has looked impressive since joining the A’s system. He failed to allow an earned run in eight straight appearances from July 4th to August 17th and finished the season in Beloit with an ERA of 0.95 over 38 innings of work for Beloit, Vermont and the AZL A’s.
We caught up with Varland just as the Snappers were headed into their best-of-three Midwest League playoff series against the Cedar Rapids Kernels, which was Beloit’s first playoff appearance since 2013. Cedar Rapids would ultimately best Beloit in two games, bringing an end to an otherwise successful season for the Snappers.
AF: You hit the ground running with a couple quick call-ups this summer. Can you go through what the timeline has been for you, from college, to Arizona, to Vermont, and now to Beloit?
GV: College, we made it to the playoffs and we got eliminated in the championship round. We didn’t go on to regionals, so it ended kind of early. Then from there, before the draft, I started to go to a couple of the major league showcases that they had. I went to the Cubs one; I did a Boston one…so that was a really cool experience. Then the draft came along, and the Athletics took me. I was blessed to get that opportunity to play at the next level. From there, I went to Arizona [League A’s], and I had no expectations of moving up or anything. I thought I was staying there for the summer. Next thing you know, they call me in the office and I’m going to Vermont, and I was like, “Oh, sweet!” I took it for what it was and went there. Had a little rough start there and kind of picked it up. Learned a lot of stuff from Chavy [Carlos Chavez], the pitching coach there, and Gil [Patterson, A’s minor league pitching coordinator]. From there, I started to do pretty well. And then they called me up to Beloit because a couple guys got moved around, and I was very excited about that. That was awesome. I did not expect that at all.
AF: Well, you picked it up very quickly. So, this has all been in a matter of a couple of months, right?
GV: Yup.
AF: Congratulations on the amazing summer that you’ve had. You were drafted out of Concordia-St. Paul, and you were playing for them just very recently. Can you talk about how your college coaches have prepared you for your first season of professional baseball?
GV: I was very blessed to have two great coaches who both played pro ball. John Gaub was my pitching coach, and he played for the Indians and the Cubs in the majors. My other coach played independent ball for the St. Paul Saints, Marcus McKenzie. They made a lot of adjustments to my physical game, but also a lot of adjustments to my mental game too. I think that’s what prepared me the best for the type of work that I’m doing out here at this level…just staying composed and not letting the little things get to you.
AF: Your numbers in Beloit, and even before that in Vermont, have been staggering – 19 1/3 innings of work for Beloit with an ERA under 1.00. Your strikeout-to-walk rate has been great [9.3/1 for Beloit]. Is there a stat in particular that you’re most proud of so far this season?
GV: Stats aren’t really too big for me. I’m just trying to go out there and give my team the best chance to win. That’s all I do every time. I could give up eight runs, but if our team wins, that’s all that matters. I’m just trying to throw strikes and get people out as fast as I can.
AF: That was actually my next question. How much do you pay attention to the numbers – not at all?
GV: Not really. Not at all.
AF: Okay. Well, side note – they’ve been very good. What have you learned about your own game so far this season?
GV: When I first got here, I learned that I am very slow to the plate. So, I had to change that in Vermont right away. People stole on me all the time. So, I made that adjustment. It was a little tough, but once I got the hang of it, people stopped stealing off me. In turn, I gave up less runs because of it. Chavy taught me that. And a changeup – Gil, the pitching coordinator here, taught me a very good changeup to get people out and get them off my fastball. I think those two go hand in hand together, and it’s been working out.
AF: Obviously, the Snappers have been playing well, getting into the postseason. And you’ve had some really solid defense behind you. How has that helped you as a pitcher?
GV: It’s unbelievable knowing that a defense can make ridiculous plays behind you, especially coming from my college. We were a D2 college so, coming here, it was crazy to see what these guys can do. You’ve got Austin Beck in center who doesn’t let a ball drop anywhere and Nick Allen at short. It’s a great feeling to have them behind you.
AF: What’s next for you after this season is over, what happens this fall?
GV: I’m going to the instructional league down in Arizona for a month, through October. And then I’m probably going to help out at my college with pitching and they’re going to let me work out there.
AF: Well, best of luck to you, Gus!
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Listen to the full audio version of Liz Rudolph’s interview with Gus Varland here…
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