JoJo

Parker

Parker missed a two-run homer in the seventh inning by a matter of feet as he turned on a 101-mph heater from hard-throwing righty Miguel Sime Jr. to give the American League a commanding 5-1 lead in the final frame. He came around to score on a single from Ralphy Velazquez a couple batters later. The 19-year-old shortstop has blossomed into Toronto’s top prospect and figures to pair with Arjun Nimmala to create a formidable infield tandem down the road.

It’s a bit under the recommended slot value of $6.81M for the eighth overall selection in the draft. Parker is an 18-year-old shortstop out of Purvis HS (MS) with projectable power and a strong hit tool, giving him all the makings of a viable fantasy asset in the future. He’s several years away from being an option to help out the Jays at the big league level however.

Parker’s twin brother Jacob also has a chance to go relatively high in this draft, but JoJo is the one who offers the potential to be a fantasy star in the coming years. The left-handed hitting shortstop has a smooth swing from the left side, and has a chance to be a major contributor in both the average and power category in the coming years. He’s not a great athlete, so his chances of staying at shortstop are far from guaranteed. Because he has a chance to get on at a high clip while providing pop, however, that bat can play at several positions. Parker will need time as most prep hitters do, but he could hit in the middle of an order someday; likely near the end of the current decade.