2025 MLB Draft Preview: Jojo Parker scouting report
The 2025 MLB Draft is a little over a month away — the first round kicks off on July 13, 2025 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #12, their second round pick is at #52, and their third round pick is at #84.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Mississippi prep shortstop Jojo Parker.
Joseph “Jojo” Parker is a left handed hitting shortstop out of Purvis High School in Mississippi. He is listed at 6’2”, 195 lbs., and is old for a high schooler, as he turns 19 in August. He has a twin brother, Jacob, who is a lefty hitting outfielder who is seen as more of a third to fifth round guy. Both brothers are committed to Mississippi State.
Parker is described by Keith Law as “one of the best pure [prep] hitters” in the 2025 draft class. He has seen his stock rise over the last year, bolstered by a strong performance on the summer circuit last year and an impressive senior year. He is more hit than power right now, earning plaudits for his impressive contact skills, ability to handle velocity, and eye at the plate. He has not shown a ton of in-game power, but at least some reports indicate that he has the potential to develop and tap into more power at the next level.
Parker is, like most well-regarded prep infielders, currently a shortstop, but appears likely to move off of the position. He doesn’t have a ton of range, and will likely end up at second base or third base, with his arm making him seemingly more of a candidate for third than second. He has average speed currently, though that would seem likely to drop some as he gets older and fills out.
Baseball America has Parker ranked #11 on their top 500 list. MLB Pipeline’s draft rankings have Parker at #10. Keith Law’s top 100 list has Parker checking in at #9. Kiley McDaniel’s top 150 list has Parker at #11. Fangraphs has Parker at #35 on their board.
In his mock draft from late May, Kiley McDaniel has Parker going to the Chicago White Sox at #10, though he also mentions Parker in connection with the Cardinals at #5 and the Pirates at #6. Baseball America’s most recent mock has Parker going to the Rangers at #12, with their previous mock having him going to the A’s at #11. Keith Law’s mock draft has Parker going to the ChiSox at #10, but says he would assume the Rangers would take Parker if he drops to them at #12. Jim Callis’s mock draft from the end of May has Parker going to the ChiSox at #10, but alludes to him being a possibility for Texas at #12. Jonathan Mayo’s mid-May mock draft has Parker going to the Reds at #9.
For the second year in a row, there is buzz about the Rangers being associated with prep shortstops with their first round pick. Last year, Texas was also linked with college catchers, and ended up selecting catcher Malcolm Moore out of Stanford. This year, the Rangers are picking higher, and a number of high school infielders are expected to go in the 9-15 range, which would seem to make it more likely Texas picks a high schooler in the first round for the first time since Cole Winn in 2018, and a high school infielder with their first pick for the first time since Jason Romano in 1997.
I decided to write up Parker today since he was the pick in the BA mock that dropped today. Parker appears to have a good chance of being off the board when Texas picks at #12, though. If he does last until then, he’s someone who has the hit tool and offensive profile the Rangers have tended towards in recent years. His age is a bit worrisome — he’s several months older than Cooper Flagg, who just finished his freshman year at Duke and is about to be picked by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Draft — but no so much so that it should hamper him significantly in terms of where he gets selected.
Previously: