Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009: #34 Jarrod Parker

Top 50 MiLB Prospects 2009 | #34 | Jarrod Parker | Diamondbacks

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | November 24, 1988 (Ossian, Indiana)

School | Norwell High School

Height | 6'1''

Weight | 180 lbs.

2008 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
Jarrod Parker was drafted in the first round of the 2007 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. After going 10-0 with an 0.13 ERA and 101 strikeouts in his senior year at Norwell High School, the Diamondbacks grabbed him with the 9th pick, which made Parker the first high school arm taken in the draft. It took Parker up until just a few hours prior to the deadline for draftees to sign, as he was weighing his options and had Georgia Tech as his fallback plan. He features pitches with great movement and command. After signing late, he missed out on pro-ball in the 2007 season, but he jumped right into Single-A in 2008 and held his own as a 19-year-old. The Diamondbacks have plenty of arm depth to go along with a solid, young rotation, so although many believe Parker could handle being rushed, it's not really needed at this time. Many have compared him to Roy Oswalt of the Houston Astros.

2008 Statistics

Level      W      L      ERA      IP      K      BB      WHIP     FIP

A         12      5     3.44   117.2    177      33      1.24    3.12

2009 Outlook
Parker is still only 20-years-old and should be handled like one. I expect him to stay in High-A with the Visalia Rawhide for most (if not all) of the 2009 season. The Diamondbacks don't have a need to rush him, and I don't think they will.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball
• Slider
  
• Curveball
  
• Change-up

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2011