2025 MLB draft and international signings

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Keith Law, in his mocks dating back a month, had the Jays taking Parker.

Here is his assessment of the pick.

Pick 8: Toronto Blue Jays — JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS

Live blog analysis: JoJo Parker had one of the best hit tools in the high school class, with exceptional contact rates even against better stuff last summer — and that’s really what made him a top ten pick, as the competition he and twin brother Jacob faced this spring in Purvis, Mississippi, made it tougher to scout him than most guys. (The day I saw the pair, Purvis won both ends of a doubleheader on mercy rules, 18-0 and 15-0.) Parker may not stick at shortstop, projecting as more of an average-ish defender there who has better instincts and hands than agility or range, but will be above-average at second or third. He’s strong enough to get to more power if he stays back on the ball better, which I don’t even think will cost him that much contact. He could easily end up one of the top 3 players in the class with the right help at the plate.

Keith Law scouting analysis: Parker is one of the best pure hitters among the high school crop this year, with a very high-contact approach that held up against better pitching last summer and fall. He has incredible hand-eye coordination and a reasonably compact path to the ball, only whiffing twice in 86 pitches in the zone, according to 2024 data from Synergy. He doesn’t expand the zone easily and has shown he can catch up to good velocity. He does have a habit of drifting over his front side on some pitches, and that is at least one reason why his evident strength hasn’t translated into much in-game power. He’s a shortstop for now with good hands and a plus arm, way more likely to end up at third base as his range is average at best. He’s a bet on the hit tool, and if you’re going to bet on a high schooler’s hit tool, his is the one to bet on.

[Parataxis]

Looks like all of our picks so far have been significantly ahead of the MLB Rankings https://www.mlb.com/draft/tracker/2025/all/team/bluejays

Is this just a case of different valuations, or might they be trying to save slot money for later?

[-MetA4-]

Looks like all of our picks so far have been significantly ahead of the MLB Rankings https://www.mlb.com/draft/tracker/2025/all/team/bluejays

Is this just a case of different valuations, or might they be trying to save slot money for later?

A ~20 pick difference is not even remotely significant once you get to rounds 3, 4+. There is no consensus ranking at that point and all of the different publications will have wildly different rankings.

Here is the ranking variance on Bucknam alone:

FG - 97
ESPN - 103
MLB Pipeline - 131
Just Baseball - 178
BA - 323

I think that 3rd rounder Jake Cook may come under-slot, but 5th rounder HS 3B Tim Piasentin is an easy over-slot kid. This is the top HS kid from Canada and he has plus power and a plus arm. He is not a cheap signing, and any money they may have saved is going to him.

[ItsDanger]

Parker was a good pick, high school bat. Reminds me of Gunnar in his swing.

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[Parataxis]

Jojo's brother, Jacob remains on the board.

Parker was a good pick, high school bat. Reminds me of Gunnar in his swing.

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[Cyrus]

How we do in day 2 draft, seems we took some high unsignable guys in case we have some extra cash to offer those 11th, 12th round guys

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Blue Jays add Canadian content on second day of MLB draft before going into cash-saving mode - Toronto Star

Here’s a closer look at who the Jays took through rounds 4-10:

Round 4: Micah Bucknam

The 21-year-old tossed just 16 innings in two seasons at LSU because of command issues. The majority of his success came during back-to-back summers in the Cape Cod League and at Dallas Baptist, where he became the school’s No. 1 starter. According to MLB Pipeline, Bucknam’s fastball ranges from 92-96 m.p.h. and his primary out pitch is a slider that sits 85-88. He projects as a future reliever but, if his command and changeup improve, he could still make it as a starter.

Round 5: Tim Piasentin

The 18-year-old already possesses plenty of power and he should hit for even more as he continues to add muscle to his six-foot-three, 200-pound frame. There’s a lot of swing and miss to his game, which means it’s going to take some time for Piasentin to develop, but he handles velocity well. Defence isn’t his specialty and some scouting reports suggest he will have to move to first base.

Round 6: Eric Snow

The University of Auburn shortstop bounced back from a disappointing sophomore season to hit .307 with 23 extra-base hits and 34 RBIs for the Tigers. He was the American Athletic Conference defensive player of the year when he was a freshman and he was named an all-star in the Cape Cod League last summer after he produced a .326 average with 30 hits and 18 runs in 29 games.

Round 7: Dylan Watts

Watts is a six-foot-four right-handed reliever who posted ERAs above 7 during each of his last two seasons in college. He flashed more potential prior to his arrival in Auburn with a 0.23 ERA in 14 appearances at Tacoma Community College. He appears to be someone who would sign for below the recommended slot value of $299,900 (U.S.) for this pick, which would free up money in the Jays’ bonus pool to sign players later in the draft.

Round 8: Danny Thompson Jr.

A fifth-year senior from UNC Greensboro, the right-hander is another candidate to sign for below slot. Thompson led his team with 23 appearances and missed a lot of bats by striking out 87 across 61 2/3 innings. He also led his club with a 3.79 ERA and was named to the all-Southern Conference first team.

Round 9: Karson Ligon

The Jays took two players out of Mississippi on Day 1 — first round shortstop JoJo Parker along with third round outfielder Jake Cook — and they returned to that state with Ligon. The Mississippi State right-hander posted an unimpressive 5.40 ERA across 56 2/3 innings for the Bulldogs and continued a trend of players who should sign for relatively cheap.

Round 10: Austin Smith

Smith spent three years at the University of San Diego as a two-way player. He produced a 3.49 ERA across his first two seasons before regressing to 5.66 as a junior. There’s more promise in the outfield, where Smith compiled a .323 average, which included 26 extra-base hits in his final season. That was enough to earn third-team honours from the American Baseball Coaches Association.

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[JaysRule15]

Would much rather we draft high upside high school guys like Parker than the 'polished' types like Logan Warmoth who had limited ceilings from the start. Nice to see us swing for the fences with the Nimmala pick and now this pick.

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[Parataxis]

Well, that frees up a sizable chunk of bonus money.

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