Unranked Blue Jays prospect moving up to Triple-A Buffalo after strong start to 2026

When a player is among the top-ranked prospects in an MLB organization, their progress and development in the system is usually accompanied by a lot of fanfare and analysis along the way. But when they are among the group of prospects that aren’t typically found inside the top 30 in the organization they often get overlooked. That is until they accomplish something makes others take notice.

That has been the case for Toronto Blue Jays reliever Conor Larkin and his surprising rise up the Jays’ farm system. The unranked Blue Jays prospect has recently been promoted to Triple-A Buffalo after a strong start to his 2026 minor league campaign, as per Thomas Hall of MLB.com.

Another unheralded gem is making his mark in the Blue Jays’ farm system

Larkin began the year with the Blue Jays’ Double-A affiliate, New Hampshire, as their closer where he posted a 1-1 record with a sparkling 1.13 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, giving up just two earned runs with four walks and 17 strikeouts in 16 innings of work. More impressively, he has allowed earned runs in only one of his 11 relief appearances to date, while reeling off seven consecutive saves prior to his promotion.

Larkin was selected by the Blue Jays in the ninth round in the 2021 MLB Draft. He might not be one of the organization’s flashiest prospect, but the 27-year-old reliever had been getting it done as he ascended the Jays’ minor league system. To date, Larkin has compiled an 11-9 record with 24 saves, and a solid 3.70 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, registering 195 strikeouts in 167.2 total innings during his time in the minors.

Surprisingly, despite the success that he has been having, he has yet to be recognized among the top ranked prospects in the Blue Jays system. But perhaps much like Davis Schneider, who went unranked for the bulk of his minor league career before finally making his MLB debut with the Jays in 2023, Larkin can still make it to The Show if he keeps impressing the Toronto brass enough so that they have no choice but to give him that chance.

More significantly, given the success that he has had in the closer’s role this season and the struggles that Jeff Hoffman has had with the Blue Jays in 2026, Toronto could be grooming for their future closer-in-the-making with Larkin.

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