LHP Connor O’Halloran, 5th round (157th) – Toronto Blue Jays - Signed $337,500

Hometown: Mississauga, Ont.

Born: Mississauga, Ont.

Height/Weight: 6’ 2” 190 lbs.

Bats/Throws: R-L

Slot Value: $385,000

School: University of Michigan

Coach: Tracy Smith

Signed by scout: Tom Burns.

Previous Teams: Terriers, Junior National Team, Etobicoke Rangers, Mississauga North Tigers.

Previous coaches: Greg Hamilton, Rick Johnston, Greg O’Halloran, Ian Bala.

Rankings: Ranked 164th on Baseball America’s top 500 combined list … Sits 164th on MLB Pipeline top 250 combined list …. Listed 108th on Baseball America’s top 200 college list … Ranked 197th on Baseball America’s top 400 list (March) ... 162nd on Perfect Game’s top 400 combined list (April 17, 2023) … No. 9 on Perfect Game Scouting’s top college left-handers list ... No. 16 in top 100 college starters according to D-1 Baseball.

Most influential people in baseball life: “My parents Sheryl and Greg O’Halloran. My father was my coach as well.”

Most influential people in baseball career: “Besides my parents, coach Erik Bakich (former Michigan head coach.)”

Best day on ball field: “Winning a big 10 championship in 2022 at Michigan and representing Canada at 18u World Cup.”

Good genes: His father, Greg, played for the Orange Coast College Pirates, was a 32nd round draft of the Toronto Blue Jays and played five seasons in the Toronto system (class-A St. Catharines, class-A Dunedin, double-A Knoxville and triple-A Syracuse), had his contract purchased by the Florida Marlies in 1993 (triple-A Portland). He played 12 games with the Marlins and split the 1995 season between the Cubs system (triple-A Iowa) and with the Duluth-Superior Dukes of the independent Northern League. Connor’s brother Ryan O’Halloran played three seasons at Orange Coast, hitting .329 as a freshman and the last two for the Butler Bulldogs, collecting 52 hits in 2022.

2023 spring season as a junior at Michigan: Finished 8-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 17 games -- 15 starts -- striking out 110 in 103 innings, while walking only 26 ... Took the loss in the Big 10 opener against Iowa allowing five runs on seven hits, two walks and two hit batters, while striking out seven ... Pitched a win against Northwestern, a 110-pitch effort, as he worked 7 2/3 innings allowing five runs on eight runs, striking out nine ... Pitched six innings giving up four runs on four walks in a loss against Minnesota, while striking out four ... Tallied eight strikeouts against Oklahoma State in 5 2/3 innings of work allowing five runs ... Worked a complete game, striking out five batters and allowing three runs in 8-3 victory over Michigan State ... Pitched six innings striking out six and giving up only two runs in a 13-8 win over Rutgers ... Pitched nine innings allowing only one run to be scored, while striking out four ... Pitched six innings striking out eight and allowing three hits in a 12-9 win over Illinois ... Worked eight innings, striking out seven batters in a win over Penn State ... Pitched six innings, striking out 12 batters, giving up one run in a 8-4 win over Bradley ... Fanned 12 batters and gave up zero earned runs in eight innings of work in over Alabama-Birmingham ... Pitched in seven innings managing to only allow three runs and striking out 10 batters against TCU ... Pitched 6 1/3 innings only allowing two runs while striking out six batters against Cal State Fullerton ... Threw five scoreless innings striking out four batters and allowing one earned run in a 6-2 win over Fresno State at MLB Desert Invitational.

2022 summer season with Hyannis Harbor Hawks in Cape Cod League: Went 0-0 with a 9.82 ERA in two games -- one start -- striking out two in 3 2/3 innings.

2022 spring season as a sophomore at Michigan: Was 5-4 with a 5.44 ERA in 19 games -- 18 starts -- striking out 104 in 92 2/3 innings and walking only 40 ... Opponents hit .269 against him ... Made his first career start against Oklahoma and struck out five batters while scattering three hits in 4 2/3 innings ... Threw three innings of one-hit ball with two strikeouts before a lengthy rain delay chased him in a win at Florida International ... Fanned eight in four innings to earn the win at Louisville ... Struck out a career-high 13 against three hits, a walk and a run to defeat Dayton ... Pitched seven scoreless striking out eight batters and scattering four hits in a 2-0 win over Iowa ... Pitched 7 1/3 innings against Cal State Fullerton, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out four batters ... Earned win striking out eight batters and allowing five hits and two runs in 5 2/3 in 18-6 win over rival Michigan State ... Fanned eight batters in 5 1/3 innings in a win over Indiana ... Earned win in B1G Tournament semifinal against Iowa with four innings in which he didn’t allow an earned run while striking out two ... Struck out six in 5 2/3 innings in an NCAA victory against Oregon.

2021 summer season with Bismarck Larks in the Northwoods League: Was 2-1 with 2.72 ERA in 11 games -- seven starts -- fanning 45 in 43 innings.

2021 spring season as a freshman at Michigan: Appeared in six games, striking out eight batters in 6 2/3 innings ... Made career debut fanning while allowing one hit in two innings of scoreless relief ... Fanned a batter in a scoreless inning of relief against Penn State ... Struck out two in one inning of facing Ohio State ... Struck out the side facing Minnesota ... Pitched a scoreless inning of relief against Illinois.

Honours: 2023 season: Earned a spot on ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Midwest All-Region Team, selected by American Baseball Coaches AssociationBig 10 Pitcher of the Year … Earned Big 10 First Team honours … ABCA/Rawlings All-Midwest Region First Team … Perfect Game Mid-Season All-American Honors Third Team …. 2022 season: Earned Canadian Baseball Network First Team honours as the best lefty among over 900 Canadians playing south of the border ... Named Big Ten Conference’s Pitcher of the Week striking out 13 allowing three hits, a walk and a run against Dayton ... Moved into 10th place on the single-season strikeout list with six against Oregon ... 2020 in high school: Canada/Puerto Rico All Region First Team Perfect Game Preseason All-American and All-Region Teams ... Ontario Scholar selection ... 2019 season: High Honourable Mention Perfect Game Preseason Underclassmen All American Teams.

Planned workouts: MLB combine at Chase Field in Phoenix.

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Scouting reports

Veteran NL cross checker:

“He reminds me of Jimmy Key, would love for us to draft him, think he’s about a third, fourth or fifth rounder.”

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Perfect Game

Connor O’Halloran

Michigan

Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 20.9

March Report: O’Halloran had an up-and-down 2022, but finished the year with 104 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings. In 2023, however, everything has been clicking in the early going as he has a 1.62 ERA and a fantastic strikeout-to-walk ratio of 44-to-8 in 33 1/3 innings pitched. He throws from a deceptive, low 3/4 slot and is able to locate his low-90s fastball well to either side of the plate. O’Halloran’s best offering is his slider, which currently boasts a miss rate above 50% and is a pitch he’ll throw to both left and right handed hitters. With his low slot and big-time horizontal movement, the pitch is especially effective against left handed hitters. O’Halloran will also mix in a change up, but relies heavily on his fastball and slider.

Bob Elliott