From Indy Ball to Pitching Ninja, Blue Jays' Connor Overton Took a Long Road to The Show
When Connor Overton found out he was headed to The Show, he was completely caught off guard.
“I couldn’t breathe,” Overton said. “I was just so shocked because it was a culmination of all these years and all this stuff I’ve done. It still really hasn’t hit me, but it was a special moment.”
Triple A Buffalo Bisons manager Casey Candaele told Overton to pack his bags for Los Angeles, where the Blue Jays were in a three-game series versus the Angels. Before Overton could do that, he had a call to make. Mom and dad were on the other line.
“They were in bed, and then it just flipped a switch and [they were] super ecstatic for me,” Overton said.
It was a phone call Overton and his family had dreamed about for a long time. The news of a promotion to MLB was extra special, too, as it represented a major milestone in the 28-year-old’s long, unorthodox road to baseball’s highest level.
Drafted in 2014.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 12, 2021
10 different teams.
2 stints in Indy ball.
Connor Overton's perseverance paid off 👏 pic.twitter.com/Q3J4EqrKE2
A 15th round pick by the Miami Marlins in 2014 out of Old Dominion, Overton got less leeway than a normal prospect. The Marlins released him in 2015, then Overton caught on in the Washington Nationals organization. He worked as high as Triple A, but still wound up with a pink slip at the end of the year.
Overton bounced between independent league baseball and the San Francisco Giants farm system until the end of 2019. The Toronto Blue Jays signed Overton in February 2020, but with no minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he elected free agency in November of the same year.
By January 2021, the global pandemic was in full effect, yet Overton—who had now played seven minor league seasons for 10 different teams—wasn’t ready to quit. Overton got together with his agent and hatched a scheme. Their next move was both brilliant and necessary.
“Especially with the off year with COVID, getting in front of certain teams or pro workouts wasn’t really going to be that accessible,” Overton said. “So the only other route was social media.”
Overton turned to a Twitter account called ‘Pitching Ninja’ and its nearly 324,000 followers. The account is wickedly popular in the MLB community and features dizzying pitch overlays, nasty sliders, devastating strikeouts and, in rare cases, gives unknown pitchers the attention they deserve.
The right-hander previously debuted on the account with a video of him throwing 100 mph off the mound on a “velo day,” so he knew his name was out there. This time, Overton was more serious. The tweet, which tagged @PitchingNinja alongside an invitation to an upcoming pro day, read: “Free agent Connor Overton 95-97.7 MPH Bullpen. Looking for an affiliate job for next year.”
Overton had the arsenal—he features a fastball from 93-97 mph, alongside a cutter, a two-seamer, a changeup, a “gyro” slider and a looping curveball—but getting his game in front of talent evaluators was the biggest challenge at that time.
“I had always thrown pretty well at bullpens in front of scouts and teams and stuff,” Overton said. “So I knew I could get some decent video and be able to put it out there and just kind of send it out to all the teams and see what happened.”
Sure enough, the plan worked. The Blue Jays signed Overton to a minor league contract on February 2, less than three weeks after his post on Twitter. This time around, he got a chance to pitch.
Overton did well during in 21 appearances (seven starts) with the Bisons in 2021, authoring a 2.03 ERA with a 1.075 WHIP, while walking just 10 batters through 57 2/3 innings. Even as he continued to mow through Triple A hitters, Overton said he didn’t see a promotion in the cards this year.
“You try not to play GM when you're playing down in the minor leagues, but obviously it crosses your mind,” Overton said. “We had seen so many moves, and there was a pool of 40-man guys in Triple A, so, honestly, I didn't really see it happening at all.”
After a flurry of Blue Jays roster moves, Overton was called up on August 11. He debuted at Angel Stadium in Los Angeles a day later, tossing 1 1/3 hitless innings in a 10-2 Blue Jays win. Overton threw 12 of his 15 pitches for strikes and got Angels third baseman Jack Mayfield to pop up to end the eighth inning.
Overton may not be at the major league level for long—in fact, he's almost certain to be optioned when either Tim Mayza or Joakim Soria are activated in Washington on Tuesday or Wednesday—but uncertainty, especially around job security, is something he’s learned to deal with his whole career.
“Honestly, just being flexible,” Overton said when asked about his key to success. “Not buying too much into any certain routine or role and being able to just kind of go out there and pitch regardless of the circumstances.”
Regardless of whether he’s pitching for the Blue Jays or the Bisons in the next few days, Overton carries a focused approach with him everywhere he goes. He’s even picked up a motto that embodies his mindset.
"'No inner or outer factors are going to affect the task at hand,’” Overton said. “Someone told me that this year and that kind of stuck with me.”
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Ethan Diamandas is a contributing writer who covers the Toronto Blue Jays for Sports Illustrated. He also writes for Yahoo Sports Canada and MLB.com. Follow Ethan on Twitter @EthanDiamandas