Toronto Blue Jays strike gold with scouts' unanimous top MLB draft pick
Photo credit: Hannah Mattix/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Toronto Blue Jays used to the No. 8 overall pick in the MLB Draft to select JoJo Parker, a highly touted shortstop out of Purvis High School.
Since 2015, the Blue Jays have consistently used their first-round pick on either a shortstop or a pitcher, and Sunday's draft was no exception.
Blue Jays walk away with the steal of the draft.
Maddy Hudak from Toronto Blue Jays On Si writes that it marked Toronto's first top-10 pick since 2020, and they were well-positioned to take advantage of a draft class rich in high-upside high school position players.
"According to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, Parker was the consensus pick in the Blue Jays' draft room when their pick arrived at No. 8." -Hudak
Toronto director of amateur scouting Marc Tramuta explained during a video call on Sunday why Parker was the unanimous choice among the team's evaluators.
«There was quite a consensus in the room, between scouts and analysts. This was one of the best, if not the best, hit-power combos, with plate discipline, that we felt was in the draft.» -Tramuta
According to Bannon, the Blue Jays sent 14 scouts and talent evaluators to Purvis, Mississippi, to watch Parker, who impressed with a .465 batting average, a .665 on-base percentage, and 70 RBI's across 37 games.
Parker is widely regarded as one of the premier hitters in this year's high school class, with rival scouts praising his advanced contact skills and natural feel at the plate.
Although some evaluators have raised concerns about Parker's long-term ability to stick at shortstop, suggesting a possible shift to a corner infield position, those questions didn't faze the Blue Jays. In fact, Toronto placed a strong emphasis on involving their player development staff early in the process, especially once they had narrowed their draft board to a final group of 10 to 12 players.
«It's really good to involve them so that everybody is invested in the process. We have an idea that may factor into some of our decisions, how they feel about the player. That's very, very helpful. I don't think we did enough of that 10, 15, or 20 years ago. I think the most successful organizations are the ones that build continuity.» -Tramuta
Parker has yet to officially sign with the organization, and his No. 8 overall selection carries a slot value of $6.81 million.
In what appeared to be a straightforward, no-brainer selection for the Blue Jays, Parker has the potential to deliver a significant boost to both the organization's farm system and, eventually, the major league roster.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 15 | 1125 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays strike gold with scouts' unanimous top MLB draft pick Does Blue Jays draft selection JoJo Parker has a future in the MLB? | ||
| yes | 964 | 85.7 % |
| no | 161 | 14.3 % |
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