Blue Jays pick shortstop JoJo Parker with eighth pick in MLB draft

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the first round of the MLB baseball draft Sunday, July, 13, 2025 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

ATLANTA — The Toronto Blue Jays selected shortstop JoJo Parker eighth overall in the first round of Major League Baseball’s draft on Sunday.

The 6-foot-2 Parker, 18, attended Purvis High School in Mississippi. He became the highest-ever pick out of Purvis.

He batted .489 with 13 home runs, 64 runs scored and 35 RBIs this past season.

The 200-pound athlete also stole 30 bases to lead the Tornadoes (29-8) to the Class 4A state championship game.

Parker, also a right-handed pitcher on the high school level, boasted an 8-2 record on the mound with a 2.77 earned-run average and 89 strikeouts in 55.2 innings pitched.

He is currently signed to play college baseball with Mississippi State University next season.

In the third round, the Jays selected Jake Cook of Madison, Miss., with the 81st pick.

The 22-year-old left-hander was recruited as a two-way player by Southern Mississippi. He focused on pitching and reached 96 miles per hour with his fastball, but his inability to throw strikes led to him redshirting in 2023 and working just two innings last year.

Converted to a centre-fielder this spring, he batted .350 with a seven per cent strikeout rate and displayed some of the best speed and outfield range in college baseball.

He can get from home to first in less than 3.8 seconds and turned in the best 30-yard dash (3.51 seconds) of all players who participated in athletic testing at the draft combine.

Charles Davalan, an outfielder from St-Bruno-de-Montarville, Que., became the first Canadian-born player selected when the Los Angeles Dodgers took him 41st overall in the Competitive Balance Round A. The University of Arkansas standout made a name for himself in the SEC, combining speed, defence, and offensive production to become a top-end draft prospect.

Right-handed pitcher Will Hynes of Mississauga, Ont., was selected by the Cleveland Guardians with the 70th overall pick.

Hynes is a prep righty who is listed at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds. He wasn’t expected to be drafted this high, but Hynes has been up to 95 miles per hour with his fastball and is advanced at spinning the ball.

Hynes, a member of the Junior National Team, is known for his poise and projectability on the mound. He participated in the spring training Dominican Summer League and MLB Draft League camps.

He is committed to attending Wake Forest.

Three additional players with Canadian ties were also selected on the first day of the draft.

Tyler Bremner of San Diego, Calif., a Canadian citizen through his parents, went second overall to the Los Angeles Angels after a dominant season at UC Santa Barbara.

Slater de Brun of Summit, Ore., also a Canadian citizen, was selected 37th overall by the Baltimore Orioles out of Summit High School.

Cam Leiter of Bayville, N.J., who spent a decade living in B.C. and played for the Langley Blaze, was taken 65th overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers after pitching at Florida State University in 2024.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2025.

The Canadian Press