Nate LaRue’s baseball journey took him from Alabama to Canada, and the catcher’s box to the pitcher’s mound.
It did not, however, take LaRue to Toronto, even after the Blue Jays signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn in August 2023.
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LaRue, 24, retired Saturday according to the official Minor League Baseball transactions page.
LaRue, a right-handed pitcher, appeared in 27 games at two levels of the Blue Jays’ minor league system in 2025. He went 3-1 with a 5.28 ERA in 24 games at Class-A Dunedin of the Florida State League. Although he struck out 30 batters in 35.2 innings, he was 0-for-2 in save situations and allowed a .285 opponents’ batting average.
In three games at advanced Class-A Vancouver of the Northwest League, LaRue allowed five hits and three runs across five innings (5.40 ERA).
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It was the most experience LaRue had on a mound since he was in high school. According to Eli Fishman of MiLB.com, LaRue was primarily a catcher his senior year but also pitched sporadically for McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Alabama, serving as the team’s closer during the playoffs.
The Blue Jays selected LaRue in the 25th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Rather than sign, he stayed in-state and honored his commitment to Auburn University instead.
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Over four seasons with the Tigers, LaRue slashed .202/.286/.354, with 13 homers and 56 RBIs in 130 games. He also appeared in six games on the mound, allowing two runs across 6.1 innings (2.84 ERA).
LaRue began his time in the Blue Jays’ organization as a catcher, even appearing behind the plate in one game with Double-A New Hampshire in 2023.
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But after another poor season in 2024 (4 for 30, 16 strikeouts), LaRue made the decision to convert to pitching full-time in 2025.
“I wanted to catch as long as I could — that’s what I’d done my whole life,” LaRue told Fishman. “I wasn’t ready to give it up just yet.”
Now, LaRue appears to have reached the end of his rope with pitching as well.
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