The Blue Jays have reached settlement with eighth general choose JoJo Parker on a $6.2MM bonus, reviews Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline. That’s just a few hundred thousand {dollars} beneath the $6.81MM slot worth.
Parker is a 6’2″ infielder who was drafted out of a Mississippi highschool. A left-handed hitter, Parker ranked between seventh and tenth on pre-draft rankings from every of MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and The Athletic’s Keith Regulation. Evaluators uniformly reward him as top-of-the-line hitters within the class. McDaniel, who was highest on Parker among the many aforementioned prospect rankers, suggests he could possibly be a plus-plus hitter with common energy in his prime.
Whereas he performed shortstop in highschool, Parker is anticipated to maneuver off the place by the point he reaches the majors. Scouting reviews recommend he may match at third base, although there’s an opportunity he’ll want to maneuver to a nook outfield spot. That’d put extra stress on Parker’s bat, nevertheless it’s attainable he may hit sufficient to profile as a daily anyplace on the diamond.
Parker had been dedicated to Mississippi State. He’ll bypass that dedication, however his twin brother Jacob will be part of the Bulldogs. Jacob Parker was seen as a strong prospect in his personal proper, although he was seen as extra of a fourth-round expertise. He didn’t discover a signing bonus to his liking. The Diamondbacks finally drafted him within the nineteenth spherical, however groups solely choose highly-regarded highschool prospects that late in case an settlement with one among their earlier picks falls by way of (leaving them with surprising bonus cash).
