This year’s Major League Baseball draft will be remembered for its depth at the high school shortstop position and even though the Blue Jays already have a top prospect who plays the same spot, they didn’t want to miss out.
Nine of the first 15 picks in Sunday’s first round were used on shortstops and all but two of them came from the high school ranks. Teams crave athleticism, versatility and hitting ability from one of the most important positions on the diamond.
The Jays had been linked to multiple shortstops in the months leading up to this year’s draft. By the time they were on the clock with pick No. 8, they had the choice of going with offensive standout JoJo Parker from Mississippi or the defensive whiz Billy Carlson out of California. They went with the big bat.
“We had a total of 14 scouts from our department see JoJo Parker,” Jays director of amateur scouting Marc Tramuta said Sunday night. “There was quite a consensus in the room between scouts, analysts, that this was one of the best, if not the best, hit-power combo with plate discipline in the draft. We couldn’t be more excited to get what we think is a well-rounded offensive player, a shortstop that also, if needed, can play second or third base.”
Tramuta, general manager Ross Atkins and the Jays’ scouting crew deserve credit for the pick. On a team that needs to win now, not five years down the road, it would have been easy to go with the instant gratification of selecting a college player, someone who could have been ready as early as next season. Instead, they went with the guy they feel has the most long-term upside. For the health of the organization, that’s a good thing.
Of course, it’s going to take a lot of time before the pick can be properly judged. Fellow shortstop Arjun Nimmala, was taken in the first round of the 2023 draft and even though he has gotten off to a good start in his minor-league career, he’s still at least a couple years away from the majors, if not more. Parker’s trajectory figures to be similar.
But the Jays believe they added someone special. Scouting reports suggest the left-handed batter has the potential to hit 20 to 25 homers per season in the majors while also managing the strike zone. The Athletic’s scouting expert, Keith Law, suggested Parker could become “the gem” of this year’s class because of his elite skills with the bat and exceptional contact rate.
The Jays clearly agree, but first they’ll have to get Parker to forego his commitment to Mississippi State and turn pro instead. The recommended slot value of $6.81 million (U.S.) for the pick should be enough to do it.
“We think his swing is advanced, we think his plate discipline is advanced, the contact has shown up,” Tramuta said of Parker, who hit .463 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs in his senior season. “Our analysts have obviously done their jobs and he was very strong in those departments, as far as consistency with his barrel, and we think he’s going to grow into more power. He has it now, but I think he’ll grow much more.”
The Jays might already have their shortstop of the future in Nimmala, or by signing Bo Bichette to a long-term extension, but that didn’t stop them from adding another. A lot can happen before Nimmala and Parker are ready for the majors and one of the best things about shortstops is that they can easily be moved to another position.
That type of transition might be inevitable for Parker. As he continues to add muscle onto his six-foot-two frame, he could become too big for the position. Even if he doesn’t, there are some questions about his long-term fit because of his average quickness. As long as he continues to hit, that will suit the Jays just fine.
“We have a really good staff of guys who will tell you what they think and those are the guys I like to work with to give me an honest answer,” Tramuta said, referencing the 14 scouts who were involved in the Parker selection.
“It doesn’t matter if I like him, it doesn’t matter if (senior vice president of player personnel) Tony LaCava likes him. It matters what we think individually and then we put all those looks together, we put it through the shredder of the analytics guys. When you get consensus through both lenses, and it comes on a bullseye to one of these players, those are the ones I like taking.”
The Jays had to forfeit their second-round selection in this year’s draft as a penalty for signing free-agent outfielder Anthony Santander. That meant, after selecting Parker, they weren’t on the clock again until pick No. 81, when they went back to Mississippi to pluck outfielder Jake Cook out of the college ranks.
Cook joined Southern Mississippi with the intention of pitching, but command issues resulted in him transitioning to centre field. He hit .350 while striking out just seven per cent of the time and displaying elite range in the outfield, per MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old doesn’t possess much power but he had the fastest 30-yard dash of anyone in this year’s class. His skills are raw but there’s upside, and at a minimum, Cook should become an elite defender.
The draft continues on Monday with Rounds 4-20.
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