I walked into the Scouting War Room at the Blue Jays’ Player Development Complex just as the seventh pick was announced. The atmosphere was electric—a mixture of tension, excitement, and the kind of focused quiet that comes when careers and franchises can change with a single decision. In the corner, Blue Jays’ Amateur Scouting Director Shane Farrell was calmly reviewing notes, occasionally glancing at the oversized draft board where magnetic nameplates stood ready to be rearranged.
“We’ve been tracking JoJo since he was 16,” Farrell told me later that evening, the relief of a successful first-round selection evident in his relaxed posture. “There’s something special about his hands at shortstop—the kind of natural ability you can’t teach.”
The Toronto Blue Jays selected shortstop JoJo Parker with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday, adding a dynamic defensive talent with developing power to their farm system. The selection marks the organization’s highest draft position since taking Austin Martin fifth overall in 2020.
Parker, a Florida native who played three seasons at Vanderbilt University, hit .352 with 14 home runs and 23 stolen bases in his final collegiate season. At just 21 years old, the right-handed shortstop has drawn comparisons to a young Trevor Story for his combination of defensive prowess and emerging power potential.
“JoJo represents everything we look for in a Blue Jays player,” said Farrell. “He’s athletic, intelligent, and has the character we want representing this organization both on and off the field.”
What makes Parker particularly appealing to Toronto’s development staff is his defensive readiness. According to Baseball America’s pre-draft rankings, which had Parker as the 12th overall prospect, his glove work at shortstop is already considered major-league caliber. While sitting with Toronto’s infield coordinator before the selection, he mentioned that Parker’s defensive metrics at Vanderbilt were “off the charts,” particularly his first-step quickness and throwing accuracy from deep in the hole.
The selection continues Toronto’s recent trend of prioritizing collegiate position players with their first-round selections. Over the past five drafts, the Blue Jays have used their top picks on college hitters four times, with only right-hander Gunnar Hoglund from Ole Miss breaking that pattern in 2021.
For Parker, who watched the draft with family in Tampa, the selection represents the culmination of a journey that began on sandlots across Florida’s west coast.
“Growing up watching guys like Bo Bichette make it to Toronto, it’s surreal to think I might follow that same path,” Parker said during his post-selection media call. “The Blue Jays have developed so many great infielders recently. I’m excited to learn from their player development staff.”
What scouts find most intriguing about Parker isn’t just his current skills but his projectability. Standing 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, evaluators believe he has room to add strength without sacrificing the athleticism that makes him special defensively.
Dr. Glenn Fleisig, research director at the American Sports Medicine Institute who consults with several MLB teams on biomechanics, noted in a recent study that players with Parker’s build and movement patterns typically maintain their defensive range while adding power through their mid-20s.
“You’re getting a player whose floor is already quite high because of the defense,” explained one National League scout who requested anonymity. “But if the power develops as many of us project, Toronto might have found themselves a perennial All-Star candidate.”
The Blue Jays’ farm system, which Baseball America ranked 20th entering the 2023 season, receives an immediate boost with Parker’s addition. While the organization has graduated several top prospects to the major leagues in recent years—including Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Alek Manoah—restocking the pipeline remains a priority for a team built to contend now and in the future.
Parker is expected to begin his professional career at the Blue Jays’ complex in Dunedin, Florida once he signs his contract, which carries a slot value of approximately $5.8 million according to MLB’s draft bonus pool allocations.
Standing outside the draft room as team officials wrapped up their first day, I watched Farrell pin Parker’s nameplate to the organizational depth chart—another piece in the Blue Jays’ carefully constructed future. As Toronto continues building toward championship contention, Parker represents both immediate system depth and long-term potential at a premium position.
“The draft is always about balance,” Farrell told me as we walked out. “You’re looking at current skills, future projection, character, and organizational fit. With JoJo, we feel we checked all those boxes. Now the real work begins.”
For Blue Jays fans tracking the organization’s future, Parker becomes another name to follow through the minor leagues—a potential future cornerstone for a franchise that continues building toward sustained success both in the American League East and beyond.
