Blue Jays Nation’s Pre-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 31: Connor O’Halloran

Photo credit:mgoblue.com

5 months ago

Today’s pitcher is the second Canadian to rank on this list!

This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual pre-season list, in which I’ll take a look at the top 50 prospects in the organization. We’ll look at the player’s stats, my observations, and other publications’ scouting reports if available.

Let’s take a look at Connor O’Halloran

Getting to know Connor O’Halloran…

Position: Starting Pitcher

Throws: Left

Born: September 1, 2002

Acquired: 5th-round, 2023 draft (Blue Jays)

2023 Team:Single-A Dunedin

Previous Ranking: 31

The Mississauga-native only pitched 10 innings of professional ball, so he stands pat as the 31st-ranked Blue Jays pitcher.

O’Halloran spent three seasons pitching for the University of Michigan, posting a 4.98 ERA in 202.1 innings pitched, along with a 25 K% and an 8.1 BB%. In his final season with Michigan, he had a 4.11 ERA in 103 innings pitched, along with a 25.5 K% and a 6 BB%. O’Halloran was the first pitcher in Michigan’s history with multiple 100-strikeout seasons.

After being selected by his hometown Blue Jays, O’Halloran was sent to the Dunedin Blue Jays, where he had a 6.30 ERA and a 6 FIP in 10 innings pitched, along with an 18.8 K% and a 16.7 BB%, not great numbers, but a fairly small sample size.

O’Halloran ranked as MLB Pipeline’s 30th-best prospect in their mid-season 2023 update. According to his bio, it’s the control and deception that works for the left-handed pitcher, as his fastball sits in the high-90s and hits 93 mph.

Moreover, his soft slider is his best pitch, as it’s graded 55 by the sit, while also featuring an average changeup and below average fastball. Although he had a high BB% in Dunedin, O’Halloran’s command and control is one of his best attributes.

Pipeline also believes he has a floor of back-end rotation starter, which is always a good sign for a recently drafted player. He’s mentioned on Fangraphs’ Top 31 list, where they peg him to be a “lefty-centric middle reliever”.

It’s likely O’Halloran will start his season with the Dunedin Blue Jays, but making it to Vancouver isn’t out of the question. Hopefully, his floor that MLB Pipeline gives him is where he ends up.