Blue Jays Landed Scouts’ Universal Top Pick in JoJo Parker

The Toronto Blue Jays have drafted either a shortstop or pitcher with their first-round pick in the draft since 2015, and things were no different on Sunday.

The Blue Jays selected Purvis High School shortstop JoJo Parker with the No. 8 overall pick in the MLB draft.

It was Toronto’s first top 10 selection since 2020, and they were a team primed to capitalize on the makeup of this year’s draft class with a propensity for prep position players.

According to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic (subscription required), Parker was the consensus pick in the Blue Jays’ draft room when their pick arrived at No. 8.

Toronto director of amateur scouting Marc Tramuta broke down in a video call on Sunday the reasoning for why he was the universal choice.

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“There was quite a consensus in the room, between scouts and analysts,” Tramuta said. “This was one of the best, if not the best, hit-power combos, with plate discipline, that we felt was in the draft.”

Per Bannon, the Blue Jays sent 14 scouts and talent evaluators to watch Parker in Purvis, Miss., where he batted .465 with a .665 on-base percentage and drove in 70 runs in 37 contests.

Parker is seen by scouts as a top hitter in the high school class, with rival scouts touting his contact ability and feel to The Athletic.

While they also cite defensive questions that could move Parker from shortstop to a corner infield spot, that didn’t deter Toronto, who went as far as to prioritize the involvement of their player development staff once they narrowed their board from 10 to 12 players.

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“It’s really good to involve them so that everybody is invested in the process,” Tramuta said. “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.”

Now, Parker still has to sign with the organization, and his selection at No. 8 overall has a $6.81 million pick value.

Tramuta declined to comment to The Athletic on his signability, but should he sign, their intent is to turn him into a major leaguer.

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In what seemed like an obvious, clear-cut pick for the Blue Jays, Parker could bring a strong boost to their farm system and eventual big league roster.

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