The Toronto Blue Jays used the eighth overall pick in the 2025 Major League Baseball draft to select JoJo Parker, an 18-year-old shortstop from Purvis High School in Mississippi. Parker is regarded as one of the top high-school position players in the class and becomes the highest-ever draft pick from his school. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound left-handed hitter batted .489 with 13 home runs, 64 runs scored and 35 RBIs in his senior season, while swiping 30 bases and leading Purvis to the Mississippi Class 4A state championship game. A two-way standout, Parker also posted an 8-2 record with a 2.77 ERA and 89 strikeouts over 55.2 innings. Parker is committed to Mississippi State University, giving the Blue Jays a potential signability challenge; the No. 8 slot carries an assigned value of roughly $6.8 million. Toronto had been linked to several prep shortstops during the spring but ultimately opted for Parker’s athletic upside and advanced bat.