JoJo Parker’s first few months in the Blue Jays system have already turned heads, and the praise is getting loud fast.
The 19-year-old shortstop, taken eighth overall in the first round a year ago out of Purvis High School in Mississippi, has wasted little time making an impression at Single-A Dunedin. In 77 games, Parker has hit .243/.382/.426 with a 119 wRC+, while also flashing the kind of all-around skill set that makes scouts lean in.
He’s got nine home runs, 21 doubles and 21 stolen bases, and he’s getting on base at a 16.4% walk rate. He also got a spot in the MLB Futures Game during All-Star weekend.
That blend of power, speed and patience is part of why Dunedin manager Ryan Casteel sees a familiar name in Parker’s game: Trevor Story.
Casteel, who came up through the Colorado Rockies system with Story, told Mitch Bannon of The Athletic that Parker has the kind of maturity and professionalism that stand out right away. And he didn’t stop there.
"JoJo is a way better hitter, I think. I saw Story when he was really good and really bad.
JoJo has a way better eye, controls the zone better, way less whiff than (Story) did at that age. That’s still with working through different mechanical adjustments.”
That’s a big statement considering what Story became in Colorado. From his debut in 2016 through his final season with the Rockies in 2021, Story put up a .272/.340/.523 line with a 111 wRC+, along with 158 home runs, 100 stolen bases and 20.3 fWAR.
Parker’s ability to work counts and avoid chasing is the part that jumps off the page. Story’s strikeout rate in Colorado never dipped below 23.4% in a season, and that came in 2021, when he was 28. His walk rate never climbed above 9.3%.
Parker, meanwhile, has already shown the kind of patience that suggests he’s comfortable taking his base just as much as he is driving the ball into the gaps. Casteel said the organization expected some bumps along the way, and that Parker has handled them the right way.
"We knew there was going to be struggles,” Casteel said. “But one thing that really just stands out to me is his even-keeledness through the whole process.”
The Blue Jays still have a long runway before Parker can be seriously measured against a player like Story, but the early signs are encouraging. His rise also opens up an interesting picture for Toronto’s future in the middle infield.
At the moment, Parker looks like a possible long-term answer at shortstop, though Andrés Giménez is under control through 2029, with a club option for 2030. By the time Parker would be pushing for his MLB debut, he’d be 22 in 2029.
There’s also Arjun Nimmala to consider. Toronto’s No. 2 prospect, ranked just behind Parker in MLB Pipeline’s Top 30, also plays shortstop and has already reached Double-A. The 20-year-old is projected to arrive in the majors by 2028, a year ahead of Parker, and could already be in line for everyday shortstop duties by then.
For now, the Blue Jays have two young shortstops worth watching closely, and both could end up shaping the club’s next wave in the middle infield. If Parker keeps building on this start, the Trevor Story comparisons won’t feel quite so far-fetched.
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