C’s Chat – 2024 Vancouver Canadians LHP #17 Connor O’Halloran – C's Plus Baseball

Taking to the mound in this edition of C’s Chat is 2024 Vancouver Canadians pitcher Connor O’Halloran.

A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Connor O’Halloran is the third member of his family to join the Toronto Blue Jays organization. His father Greg was a catcher and was drafted in the 32nd round of the 1988 MLB Draft out of Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. He made his major league debut with the Florida Marlins in 1994. Connor’s uncle Mike was also a pitcher in the Blue Jays system in 1991 and 1992.

The younger O’Halloran attended St. Martin Secondary School in Mississauga and balanced his baseball career and academics as a three-year honour roll student and spent three years with Canada’s Under 18 National Team from 2018-2020. That helped draw the attention of Michigan Wolves coach Erik Bakich who offered O’Halloran a scholarship to Ann Arbor.

The 2021 freshman season saw O’Halloran log just 6-2/3 innings with the Wolverines but he got much more time on the mound in summer college ball. He joined the Bismarck Larks of the Northwoods League where he tossed 43 innings and struck out 45 batters with 21 walks while posting a 2-1 record with a 2.72 ERA.

O’Halloran’s workload increased in 2022 when he became a member of the Wolverines rotation in 2022. He won five of nine decisions with a 5.44 earned run average and struck out 104 batters with 40 walks over 92-2/3 innings. O’Halloran got the honour of starting the home opener for Michigan on St. Patrick’s Day and no luck of the Irish was needed as he struck out 13 batters over eight innings of one-run ball to collect the win over Dayton. He won the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award for that performance. After helping the Maize and Blue win the Big Ten Conference tournament, O’Halloran surrendered three earned runs over 5-2/3 innings and earned the victory over Oregon in the Louisville Regional on June 3.

Under new coach Tracy Smith, O’Halloran became the ace for the Wolverines in 2023. He went 8-6 with a 4.11 ERA with a 110-26 K/BB total in 103 innings to earn the Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Year award. He was the first Michigan hurler to strike out over 100 batters in back-to-back seasons. O’Halloran had a brief sojourn in the Cape Cod League where he tossed 3-2/3 innings for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks before the 2023 MLB Draft rolled around.

Baseball America rated O’Halloran as the 162nd-best prospect in last year’s draft.

“The 6-foot-2, 190-pound lefthander throws from a deceptive and low, three-quarter slot and is able to locate his low-90s fastball well to either side of the plate. He averaged 89-91 mph on the pitch this spring and touched 94, and will need to be able to spot the pitch with precision at the next level to keep hitters off of it consistently. His best offering is a high-spin slider in the low 80s, which boasted a 42% miss rate, and it was an equal opportunity bat-misser against both righties and lefties—though given his arm slot and sweepy shape, it should be more consistent in same-side matchups in pro ball. He mixes in a mid-80s changeup with some tumbling action that should be a key pitch for him to prevent platoon advantages in pro ball. O’Halloran doesn’t have the loudest pure stuff, but he could develop into a touch-and-feel back-end starter if he can add a few more ticks of velocity.”

The Canadian Baseball Network quoted a National League cross-checker comparing O’Halloran to former Toronto Blue Jays lefty Jimmy Key.

BA was just five picks off as O’Halloran was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 157th selection in the fifth round on the recommendation of scout Tom Burns. After signing for $337,500, O’Halloran reported to Dunedin for a Blue Jays draft camp and made his pro debut with the Dunedin Blue Jays. It was a winning debut as he got the win by allowing just one run over two innings at Clearwater on August 18. Another two-inning, one-run stint led to O’Halloran getting another victory against St. Lucie on August 25. He also got the win in his next two-inning outing when he put up two goose eggs at Dayton on August 31.

After getting in 10 innings during his first exposure to pro ball, O’Halloran was ready for a heavier workload on his return to Dunedin. He matched his 3-1 record in 2023 with the exact mark for April, ending the month with a nine-strikeout performance as he blanked Tampa on three hits over 6-2/3 innings on April 30. That was followed up with nine more Ks over 5-2/3 innings of three-run ball at Fort Myers on May 7. A five-inning, one-run effort at Bradenton that included six strikeouts on May 21 convinced the Blue Jays brass that it was time to promote O’Halloran to Vancouver.

Blue Jays farm director Joe Sclafani told Baseball America that club officials liked what they saw from O’Halloran.

“We wanted to see him establish a solid routine, which he has done. He attacked, threw a ton of strikes and executed pitches once he was ahead, leading to strikeouts and soft contact. He does a great job at keeping hitters off-balance. He’s a good teammate and worker. We felt like he was ready for the challenge of working against more advanced hitters. We’re going to continue to work on some opportunities we see on the strength and movement sides to see if we can unlock some things on the velo side”

After a 4-2 record, a 3.13 ERA and a 45-13 strikeout-walk total over 37-1/3 innings with Dunedin, O’Halloran won his debut on Canadian soil as he struck out four over five shutout innings for a victory over Tri-City on May 30.

Though O’Halloran has experienced a rough ride at times in the Northwest League, he did pitch a career-high seven innings against Everett on July 3 and struck out 34 batters in 37 innings while keeping batters in check with a .225 batting average heading into late July.

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C’s Plus Baseball chatted with the 21-year-old O’Halloran during the Canadians series at home against Spokane in the latter part of July. This interview has been edited for clarity.

C’s Plus Baseball – You were picked by Toronto in the fifth round out of Michigan. What was the draft day experience like for you?

Connor O’Halloran – I think it was amazing. I mean, it’s literally everything you ever dream of and think of, and then when the day’s kind of there, it feels surreal. I definitely worked hard for it. I was with my friends and my family. We were all watching TV and had the draft cast going too so just to have that experience with all my closest and favourite people was unreal.

CPB – Did it take you by surprise at all that the Blue Jays were the ones to take you? Or did you think there was going to be another team?

CO – I think leading up to it, you’re never certain one way or another. The draft can be so unpredictable. You’re kind of in purgatory of where is it going to be? When is it going to be? Who is it going to be? But it was honestly pretty quick. I had spoken with some scouts with the Jays throughout that whole year and had a meeting with them at the draft combine but I didn’t think anything too serious of it. But then the day came and I got the call, ‘Hey, the Jays have a pick coming up here. Would you take this and this?’ And it was just ‘Yes’, like right away. I was like, ‘That’s unbelievable.’ And then just to have that quick turnover of, ‘Okay, be ready to hear your name called.’ And then you see Connor O’Halloran selected by the Jays. I mean, it’s the greatest feeling in the world, especially by my hometown team. I have been a Blue Jays fan going to games since I can remember so that was unbelievable.

CPB – Your Dad was in the minor league system with the Jays and did get a cup of coffee with the Marlins back in the 90s. I’m sure it must have been a really proud moment for him too.

CO – His brother (Mike) as well has played with the Jays (organization) too so I have two family members with the Jays. I think he was standing right there next to me. He was probably the next happiest guy in the room next to me. Just to be able to represent the hometown team as like a family in a way, that’s as cool as it gets right there.

CPB – In Michigan, you won the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year award. What did that award mean to you personally?

CO – Going to Michigan has been one of the biggest honours of my life. Since the first time I stepped foot on that campus, I knew I wanted to go there on the official visit. There was no other school for me. Being from Canada, you don’t really hear as much about the hurrah of college athletics and everything. But once I got there, I bought in for sure. I had some great coaches there that really reinforced being proud of this school. It’s a blessing to be able to go there. To be able to not only just compete but then win that award, it was just such a special honour. But I couldn’t have done it without all my teammates. We had a great bunch of teams while I was there so it was really great.

CPB – How did your time in Michigan help you develop as a pitcher?

CO – I think I had a really big developmental year my freshman year. Everyone who basically plays D1 college baseball, where they come from, you know, they’re the man, they’re the guy. They’re used to playing time, you know. So I think just kind of dealing with that adversity of like, ‘Hey, you’re 18 years old. You’re not going to play. You’re back at the bottom of the food chain.’ You’ve got to really be able to work on your own, you know. It’s going to go to the guys that play every day and just asking questions with your teammates, staying extra. Make sure you’re doing the right things when you don’t have the opportunity so when you finally do, you can capitalize on those. I think I did a pretty good job. Once my opportunity came, in my sophomore and junior year, I was ready to go and do what I needed to do.

CPB – When you look back at your time in Michigan, what would you say was the memory that stands out for you the most?

CO – I think dogpiling on the field in Omaha after we won the Big Ten tournament, clinching the regional berth too from that. All year that’s all you look forward to. That’s why you play college baseball is for those moments. To be with not only your teammates, but you know, they’re your best friends, the people you live with. Everyone was just so proud to do it for the name on the front. And I think that’s where really that team was all about. That school is all about doing it for Michigan so to be able to bring that home for the school was great.

CPB – Before you got to Michigan, take us through how things got started for you. You represented Canada at some competitions but where did it all begin for you?

CO – I mean, I never threw the hardest you know? Like everybody else, I played all the positions as much as I could as a lefty but I really focused on pitching when I was about 15 years old. I was like, ‘Hey, I think I’m a little better at this than hitting. Hitting’s hard.’ But it was like anything, I really had to work at it, I wasn’t just naturally gifted. I think the one thing I always knew how to do was be able to pitch since I wasn’t the most athletic or the hardest-throwing. I just really worked on being a pitcher and all my pitches, throwing strikes, that type of stuff, and I got better, obviously. I was invited to a PBR (Prep Baseball Report) event, I think, in Indiana. And the Michigan coach just happened to be there but that’s how that kind of started. I ended up talking to them and had the visit and everything. I love the coaching staff there. They’ve gone on to do great things, all of those coaches that were there that are no longer there but I really enjoyed them. And I think just being on the Canadian national team helped for some exposure and just learning to play against better competition. I think those were all big stepping stones but that’s how I got there.

CPB – Playing for Greg Hamilton and his influence throughout Canadian baseball. What was it like to work with him?

CO – I mean, he’s the man in Canadian baseball. I think every guy that you know has played in probably the last how many years knows Greg Hamilton. He’s influenced their life in some way or another and you know just a great guy. I think Canadian baseball in general is such a tight-knit group. You know about all the other players throughout the country and I think just his influence on everybody and giving us the opportunity to play against competition and expose ourselves. It shows that we really do have a lot of talent in this country.

CPB – And you got some Canadian connections here in Dasan Brown, manager Brent Lavallee and position coach Ashley Stephenson. I’m sure there’s a lot of pride having fellow Canadians on this year’s roster.

CO – For sure. It’s definitely funny playing with Dasan. I’ve played against him since I was probably six years old. He’s 20 minutes away. It’s kind of funny now to look back on, when I was with the Mississauga North Tigers, he was on the Oakville A’s. Now we’re playing together in pro baseball for the hometown team together.

CPB – It must be nice to know he’s out there in center field knowing he’s going to run anything down for you.

CO – Yeah, he’s got everything out there so, you know, you just let him hit it. He’s somewhere out there running to it making a play so that’s always great.

CPB – Your pitch mix. What are you throwing right now?

CO – It’s fastball, changeup curveball and slider. I’ve been working on a little bit of a cutter just seeing how it works out and everything. I’ve had some good and some bad but that’s you know part of developing it.

CPB – The fastball, four-seam or two-seam?

CO – It’s mostly four-seam but you know you can mix the two-seam in there every once in a while and see if it moves a little different, gets a different look for the batter too just playing it off like that.

CPB – What would you say is your second best pitch?

CO – I think it’s probably the slider or the changeup. I think it honestly depends on the day. The hitters, the higher you go up, they’re just getting better and better too. They’re developing just like you are so I think just on that certain day, you gotta be able to read swings and throw whatever works. If one pitch is working, you might have to stay with it for that day.

CPB – Is your slider a variation like the sweeper or is it more of a conventional slider?

CO – I’m honestly not sure because I’ve never faced myself obviously so I don’t really know. I feel like it’s just a pitch. I know where it’s going. I feel like it’s a consistent pitch but I think kind of you can manipulate it a little bit to make it a little bit more sweeperish, a little bit more up and down. Gyro is the word.

CPB – The changeup is a circle changeup?

CO – Yeah, just a pretty traditional change-up. You know, three fingers and throw it like a fastball.

CPB – I guess you really need a pretty big hand to pull off a splitter, like maybe a Kevin Gausman who’s known for his splitter.

CO – Yeah, I mean, that’s why he’s in the big leagues right there. I mean, it’s unbelievable watching him do that. But, yeah, I never had the biggest hand. I think the changeup was just kind of one of those first pitches you learn. I threw it always decent, and I knew it was such a good pitch, so I kind of just stuck with that. I never really tried the splitter.

CPB – You’ve used the Rolling Stones ‘Paint It Black’ as your mound music when you start. Would you say that’s kind of your philosophy on pitching? Just painting the black of home plate.

CO We’re all trying to do that I guess, right? I mean, it’s nice the days that you can do that but I think for me, not being a guy who can really overpower guys with velocity and things like that, I think that’s always been my game. Pitching is command, deception. When you get the two strikes, put guys away, throw your nastiest stuff. But before that, just pound the zone, let your defense work. We got a great team out here. That makes it a lot easier for me.

CPB – You started out your pro career with Dunedin and you got your first professional win. What was your first professional experience in Dunedin like, going through a draft camp and pitching a few innings for the D-Jays?

CO – That process and that turnaround from college and the season ends, you take some time off, and then it’s like the draft happens. A couple of days later, you’re down in Florida at this giant, beautiful facility. There’s MLB guys walking around. There’s all these other guys walking around and it’s awesome. But I think just going into that, I was definitely a little nervous. I mean, I think that’s natural, though, like anything. But I think it was more excitement than anything. So to rebuild back up and then go into those games, I was definitely excited to do it. Just getting that first experience with the Jays jersey on and everything, I mean, it’s everything you could ever ask for. Just being able to kind of get that experience before this first full year was really big, just getting the nerves out of the way.

CPB – I’m sure you were in Dunedin a few times growing up?

CO – I played there with the national team. We actually played the Blue Jays so that was my first time there. Right when they remodeled (the stadium). Just seeing it when you’re 16, you’re like, ‘Oh, so this is what it looks like.’ That was just really awesome. So I had that experience I think that’s as good as it gets.

CPB – The Player Development Complex. What were your impressions of it and how do you think it’s helped you so far?

CO – Well, the first time I heard about it, I knew that every team had a complex and everything but I remember we actually were fortunate enough that the Jays invited some of us down after the draft to the (SkyDome) and I remember Kevin Gausman said hi to me and Landen Maroudis who was there alongside me. We’re shy and nervous, trying not to bother anybody before a game. He came up super friendly, and he’s like, ‘Oh, you guys going down to Florida?” And yeah, we told him we were going to the Complex, and he goes, ‘It’s like a spaceship.’ I remember that’s what he said. He said it was beautiful. And to finally go down there and get there, they have every amenity and machine and everything you could ask for to put yourself in the right position to have success. It was just unbelievable.

CPB – Would you say there was anything you learned about yourself, maybe the way your pitchdes move or work this way because for such and such a reason?

CO – I was never a huge numbers and TrackMan guy but I think if you don’t at least check it out and try to learn about it a little bit, then you’re not helping yourself be the best version of yourself. I think just trying to learn about it from other guys just sitting on the bench and talking to coaches and all the people at the PDC that know about all this stuff, I think it definitely is a tool that if you throw one pitch and it doesn’t do what you want like, ‘How can we fix that or how can we make this better?’ I think definitely just using those numbers to make sure you’re staying on the right track is something big. And just knowing like which way when my pitch is on, what it looks like. So then when if it ever is off, you can go back to it and be like, ‘Maybe you’re doing this, maybe you’re getting on the side (of the ball) a little bit, or your fingers were moving it.’ I think that’s a really cool part of having those amenities.

CPB – You returned to Dunedin in the start to 2024. How did you feel your season went with the D-Jays?

CO – I mean, it’s like any baseball season. There’s some good ones, some bad ones. I think in this game, when it’s so long of a season, you just got to try to be consistent. I thought I did a pretty good job of that. We had a really good team. We had really good coaches down there. Maya (José Mayorga) was great, our manager, and Cory (pitching coach Cory Riordan) and Yoel (Yoel Hernández) in the bullpen. Having those guys there really helped and they make baseball fun too. They’re really good at what they do but they also make it a lot more fun to show up to the ballpark as well as all the guys. I think just having that mentality of going to the field every day and just having fun, it takes a lot of the stress out of baseball and trying to perform well instead of ‘Am I going to get moved up? When am I going to move up? Am I going to move up and just go out there and play?’ I think that’s really when you start playing your best so I think just doing that really helped me.

CPB – You get called up to vancouver. How did you find out?

CO – We were in Bradenton playing the Pirates (farm club, the Marauders) and it was right after the game. They called me into the office and I thought I had done something wrong. I thought Ii was about to get maybe like yelled at or something. They go, ‘How have you pitched?’ I’m like, ‘Pretty good, I think’. They’re like, ‘Your bullpen feel good this week?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I think I felt good, I threw well.’ And then they go, ‘Are you gonna throw strikes?’ And I go, ‘You bet! For my next start.’ And then they go, ‘Well, it’s gonna be in Vancouver.’ And then they had a big smile on their face and shook my hand. Then we went out and announced it to the team, just to have all the support. Everybody is supporting each other. Everyone wants to get there themselves to the next level but everyone’s always so supportive so having that is really, really great.’

CPB – You get to pitch here at Nat Bailey Stadium. What was that like for you getting to pitch here for the first time?

CO – I feel like for me, I think that was the first time it felt like a real minor league baseball game. Dunedin, it’s a beautiful ballpark but not the biggest fans, just in that whole league. To get here and, you know, the first thing you hear from the guys is, ‘Oh, it’s going to be a packed one today.’ And then you go out there and there’s thousands of people and you’re like, ‘Oh, wow. This is what it’s like.’ So I think just having that little bit of boost from the excitement, the adrenaline definitely makes it really fun to come to the field and do what you do every day. I mean, it’s the best job in the world so I’m really, really fortunate.

CPB -The mound conditions. How have you found the mound here as compared to everywhere else you’ve pitched here so far in the league?

CO – Tthe one thing about baseball is no matter what field you go to, every mound is going to be a little bit different. Some of them are a little bit higher, some are a little bit lower. Sometimes the dirt’s a little bit different. Does my foot sink a little bit more? But I think if you can figure out, even if you don’t like the mound or if you love it, you can figure out how it’s going to feel that day quick enough during your warmups and everything. It’s something that you don’t really have to think about too often. If it’s a bad mound, you got to just kind of say, ‘Well, that’s how it is today and get over it.’ But for me personally, I don’t really have a preference too much. All these teams have great grounds crews and they’re putting in lots of work. Especially our field, it’s beautiful so I never had an issue with it.

CPB – Do you find that you kind of just take it all in sometimes? Do you look at the crowd or anything like that to kind of maybe kind of soak it in for at least a few seconds anyway?

CO – I mean all the time yeah, especially when you’re on the bench. I think the day that you’re pitching, you don’t really think about it until afterwards. You come out of the game, you look around, you realize that all these people are here to watch this team and all that so that’s a really cool feeling. But definitely when you’re on the bench and you just look around, you see all the people supporting us with jerseys and hats, asking for autographs. I mean, that’s such a cool reason to come to the field every day. To have people supporting you like that for, you know, this one Canadian team.

CPB – You said the Blue Jays were your favorite team growing up. Did you have a favourite player or pitcher?

CO – I remember always loving Vernon Wells. I had his jersey, you know, in the mid-2000s, white and silver. I remember I got a chance to meet him actually when I was younger too. And I remember that was like the most nervous I’d ever been was meeting Vernon Wells. That whole team was great. Just being able to watch all those guys and be in a position to hopefully one day be up there at the level that they were at was awesome.

CPB – Final question. The Canadians have five different uniforms—white, red, blue, black and gray. Do you have a favourite?

CO – I’m going to get a lot of hate but it’s the blue. The guys don’t like the blue but I personally love the blue look. So, yeah, that’s my favourite. That’s the one I’m always going to go to if I get the chance.

Connor O’Halloran File

Born – September 1, 2002 in Mississauga, Ontario
Height/Weight – 6-foot-2, 190 pounds
Bats/Throws – Right/Left
Uniform Numbers – Wore number 44 in 2021, number 39 in 2022 and number 20 in 2023 with Michigan. Wore number 9 in 2023 and number 43 in 2024 with Dunedin.
Mound Music – ‘Paint It Black’ by The Rolling Stones
Instagram – @connorohal
The More You Know – O’Halloran is the first Michigan Wolverine lefty on the Vancouver roster since Bobby Brosnahan in 2012-2013 and the first since righthander Troy Miller in 2018.
Fun Fact – Connor is the first member of the O’Halloran clan to make his pro debut on American soil. His father Greg began his pro career with the St. Catharines Blue Jays in 1988 and his uncle Mike debuted with the Medicine Hat Blue Jays in 1991.