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Toronto Blue Jays Prospect Profile: Right-handed reliever Conor Larkin
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Photo credit: Mark Steffens - Fotoguy Photography
Ryley Delaney
Jul 22, 2024, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 23, 2024, 09:12 EDT
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Relief pitching is the most volatile position in the sport.
For every relief pitcher that has an unsuccessful season, there is another reliever that immediately takes his place. The Blue Jays have some notable relief prospects in the organization, but today’s prospect came out of nowhere in 2024.

Getting to know Conor Larkin

Conor Larkin was selected 272nd overall in the ninth-round of the 2021 draft, but didn’t pitch professionally until the start of the 2022 season. With the Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays, he posted a 1.23 ERA and a 2.09 FIP in 14.2 innings pitched, striking out 35.6% of batters while posting a 10.2 BB%.
The righty earned a promotion to High-A in late May 2022, where he had a 7.71 ERA and a 4.41 FIP in 9.1 innings pitched with a 22.5 K% and a 7.5 BB%, before missing just under three months due to injury.
Larkin pitched the entirety of the 2023 season with the Vancouver Canadians, posting a 4.30 ERA and a 3.35 FIP in 46 innings pitched (35 games), where he had a high 29.5 K% with a 10.9 BB%. The righty won the Northwest League championship with the Canadians in 2023.
Once again, Larkin started the season with the Canadians, where he has a 2.77 ERA and a 4.52 FIP in 26 innings pitched. The 25-year-old’s K% remains good at 29.7%, but his BB% has increased from 10.9% to 15.3%, a worrisome sign.
His numbers were even better prior to his last two outings, as he’s given up five of his eight earned runs in an inning and two thirds. Prior to those two outings, Larkin was rocking a 1.14 ERA and a 3.78 FIP in 23.2 innings pitched, only giving up three earned runs in two of the 22 games he appeared in. Moreover, Larkin’s K% was sitting at 32.7% prior to his past two outings, so hopefully he can get back on track in his next few games.
Larkin has a five-pitch mix, a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a cutter, a slider, and a changeup, with the fastball averaging 93-95 mph. It’s only a matter of time before he’s promoted to Double-A, but he’ll have to refine his command and control as he reaches the upper minors. 
Still, he’s a prospect worth monitoring, as teams always need relief pitchers to emerge in their farm systems.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D. 

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