2025 MLB Draft Profile: Joseph 'JoJo' Parker

Mississippi native Joseph "JoJo" Parker has been one of the biggest climbers in the 2025 MLB Draft class. Do the Marlins like Parker enough to take him with the seventh overall pick?

Overview

Position: SS

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 195 pounds

School: Purvis HS (MS)

Commitment: Mississippi State

FOF Big Board Rank: 14th

Joseph “JoJo” Parker is a 6’2”, 190-pound shortstop who plays at Purvis High School in Purvis, Mississippi. Parker is potentially the best pure hitter in the 2025 MLB Draft class. He has excellent hitting tools with some room for growth and could play shortstop at the next level.

On Perfect Game, Parker is an elite high school prospect who was selected to the Perfect Game All-American Classic with his twin brother, Jacob Parker. Both brothers are signed to play college baseball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Parker is a left-handed hitter with incredible bat-to-ball skills. He has added more power to his frame, though there is still room to fill out more. His in-zone contact rate is well above the 90th percentile and he has a 14% chase rate in recorded games. Parker has a gap-to-gap approach and can put the ball in the air to all fields with ease.

Defensively, Parker has the tools and instincts to be a quality shortstop at the next level. He has above-average arm strength and the range to stick at short. He might have to change positions eventually, but Parker has the arm strength and skills to be a good defensive third baseman.

Parker rose 72 spots (from 86th to 14th) on MLB Pipeline's updated ranking of draft prospects. He made a similar leap on the Fish On First big board (from 82nd to 14th).

Strengths

• Plus hit tool
• Advanced approach at the plate
• Excellent bat-to-ball skills
• Elite in-zone contact rate and low chase rate
• Great defensive instincts
• Plus arm strength

Weaknesses

• Lacks power
• Might not be able to stick at SS

Pro Comparison: Ketel Marte

Projection: Top 15 pick

Bottom Line

Joseph “JoJo” Parker is one of the best pure hitters in the 2025 MLB Draft. He has tools that grab scouts’ attention and impressive batted ball/plate discipline data that should be very appealing to teams who are analytically driven. Parker isn’t a finished product, but he has the makings of being a quality big leaguer.

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• OF Jace LaViolette
• LHP Liam Doyle
• INF Kayson Cunningham
• SS Eli Willits
• SS Marek Houston
• RHP Seth Hernandez
• 3B Xavier Neyens
• OF Brendan Summerhill