Top 50 Prospects: # 15 – Jarrod Parker | The Golden Sombrero Baseball Blog | MLB, Fantasy, College & High School Baseball News

Top 50 Prospects: # 15 – Jarrod Parker

#15 Jarrod Parker

Oakland Athletics

DOB: 11/24/1988

Previous Rank: 8

ETA: 2011

Parker missed 2010 due to Tommy John, and it took him several months of 2011 to really begin to look like he did before the surgery.  Still, his second-half and track record prior to TJ were enough to sway Billy Beane to pull the trigger on the deal that recently sent All-Star Trevor Cahill to Phoenix.

On the year, Parker posted a 3.79 ERA with 112 strikeouts to 55 walks in 131 innings pitched.  Obviously we’d like to see him striking out more hitters than that, but he still received the call to the D-Backs in September and had a very impressive six-inning start and even earned a spot on the NLDS roster.

Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff W L ERA G GS IP BB SO
2008 19 South Bend MIDW A ARI 12 5 3.44 24 24 117.2 33 117
2009 20 2 Teams 2 Lgs AA-A+ ARI 5 6 3.14 20 20 97.1 38 95
2009 20 Visalia CALL A+ ARI 1 0 0.95 4 4 19.0 4 21
2009 20 Mobile SOUL AA ARI 4 6 3.68 16 16 78.1 34 74
2011 22 Mobile SOUL AA ARI 11 8 3.79 26 26 130.2 55 112
3 Seasons 28 19 3.49 70 70 345.2 126 324
AA (2 seasons) AA 15 14 3.75 42 42 209.0 89 186
A (1 season) A 12 5 3.44 24 24 117.2 33 117
A+ (1 season) A+ 1 0 0.95 4 4 19.0 4 21
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/5/2012.
Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff W L ERA G IP WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB
2008 19 South Bend MIDW A ARI 12 5 3.44 24 117.2 1.241 8.6 0.6 2.5 8.9 3.55
2009 20 2 Teams 2 Lgs AA-A+ ARI 5 6 3.14 20 97.1 1.356 8.7 0.2 3.5 8.8 2.50
2009 20 Visalia CALL A+ ARI 1 0 0.95 4 19.0 0.842 5.7 0.0 1.9 9.9 5.25
2009 20 Mobile SOUL AA ARI 4 6 3.68 16 78.1 1.481 9.4 0.2 3.9 8.5 2.18
2011 22 Mobile SOUL AA ARI 11 8 3.79 26 130.2 1.278 7.7 0.5 3.8 7.7 2.04
3 Seasons 28 19 3.49 70 345.2 1.287 8.3 0.4 3.3 8.4 2.57
AA (2 seasons) AA 15 14 3.75 42 209.0 1.354 8.4 0.4 3.8 8.0 2.09
A (1 season) A 12 5 3.44 24 117.2 1.241 8.6 0.6 2.5 8.9 3.55
A+ (1 season) A+ 1 0 0.95 4 19.0 0.842 5.7 0.0 1.9 9.9 5.25
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/5/2012.
Year Age Tm Lg W L ERA G GS IP H BB SO WHIP
2008 19 ARI-min A 12 5 3.44 24 24 117.2 113 33 117 1.241 SBN · MIDW
2009 20 ARI-min AA,A+ 5 6 3.14 20 20 97.1 94 38 95 1.356 MOB,VIS · SOUL,CALL
2011 22 ARI-min AA 11 8 3.79 26 26 130.2 112 55 112 1.278 MOB · SOUL
2011 22 ARI NL 0 0 0.00 1 1 5.2 4 1 1 0.882
1 Season 0 0 0.00 1 1 5.2 4 1 1 0.882
162 Game Avg. 0 0 0.00 34 34 194 136 34 34 0.882
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/5/2012.

Parker has a classic mix of fastball, breaker, and changeup, all of which grade as at least solid-average offerings.  His fastball has neared triple-digits before, but he typically works in the 93-96 mph range with his 4-seamer.  He throws a heavy sinker about two mphs off of the 4-seamer, but it digs well and even gets some swings-and-misses.  Parker’s bender is a slider in the mid-80s with tight break and good shape as well as solid command.  His change is behind, but it’s going to be an above-average offering for him and is definitely a pitch that will play in Oakland to both sides of the plate.

Parker is an ace and immediately jumps to the top of the A’s prospect rankings list.  Brett Anderson, Parker, Sonny Gray, and Dallas Braden should make a very young and formidable rotation in 2013 and beyond.

1 Comment

  1. Steve says:

    God I wish the rotation next year in Phoenix was going to be Kennedy, Hudson, Parker, Skaggs, and Bauer with Collimenter as the swing guy.