Toronto’s top prospect JoJo Parker only has 77 professional plate appearances under his belt and is performing about as expected for a guy we knew would need time to develop. Through 284 at-bats, he’s got 21 doubles, 9 homers, 51 RBIs and 51 walks.

The 51 walks are good, but for a guy that profiled as having good command of the zone, he is racking up a good amount of punch outs. He’s staring at a K-rate of just shy of 30%. Much like I predicted with Eli Willits (more tomorrow), this could just come down to youth and professional inexperience. After all, Parker is just 19 years old. Drawing that many walks is impressive for his age.

JoJo also has a twin brother named Joseph who, despite being drafted in 2025 like his brother, chose to go the college baseball route. The Hattiesburg, Mississippi native chose to go 183 miles north and suit up for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, where he was a starter as a freshman.

Back to JoJo. As I mentioned in his initial Prospect Spotlight, Parker has internal competition for the “shortstop of the future” title in Toronto. 20-year-old Arjun Nimmala is a
year ahead of Parker in terms of physical development, but two years ahead professionally. Nimmala was taken 20th overall in 2023 and is outpacing his counterpart. He’s already in Double-A and hitting .272 on the year across 4 levels, compared to Parker’s .243. Despite playing 22 few games than Parker to this point in the season, Nimmala only has one fewer homer and possesses a lower strikeout rate, but Parker draws walks at a slightly higher clip.

One clear advantage that JoJo Parker has over Arjun Nimmala is one I didn’t necessarily see coming. Both guys profile as average runners, but Parker is running effectively, collecting 21 stolen bases to Arjun’s five. Nimmala probably profiles as the cleaner shortstop while Parker’s bigger frame may take him to third, but the difference is negligible. It will be a true competition to see who takes that future shortstop role.

TRADE DEADLINE UPDATE: Toronto moved Arjun Nimmala to the Angels in the deal that landed them Jose Soriano, so at least for now, it seems like the Blue Jays have made a decision in that shortstop-of-the-future race, and JoJo Parker appears to be their guy.

With less than a full professional season removed from high school, JoJo Parker is still a project. The potential is there, and the tools are impressive, Parker just needs time. Fortunately, as I said before, that’s something the Blue Jays as an organization have the luxury of possessing.