Blue Jays Prospect Weekly: JoJo Parker's Power Surge, King Locks In at High-A
By Hannah Wells ·
The Kid Is For Real: JoJo Parker Keeps Mashing
Through 87 games at Single-A Dunedin, JoJo Parker (A, SS, Rank: 1) is doing things that 20-year-olds at that level simply are not supposed to do with consistency. This past week he went 9-for-19 with three doubles, two home runs, and eight RBI across 21 plate appearances, capping off a July-August stretch that has been nothing short of ridiculous. Over the last 30 days he's slashing .299/.385/.597 with four home runs and 19 RBI in just 78 plate appearances, a run that pushes his season slash to .258/.388/.471 with 13 home runs, 24 doubles, and 22 stolen bases. A 60 hit tool with a 55 power grade was always going to be an exciting combination, but the actual production has outpaced even that projection at this stage.
Parker's profile is interesting as the power output is not coming at the expense of his on-base skills. He has drawn 63 walks against 99 strikeouts in 399 plate appearances, a walk-to-strikeout ratio that is genuinely rare for a teenager in full-season ball. His projection calls for a move to third base long-term, with everyday status and a realistic ceiling of a .270 hitter with 20-25 home runs annually. But the current numbers make that feel conservative. The arm (55) and the hit tool are both ahead of schedule, and the power is playing up. If the strikeout rate ticks down as he climbs levels, there's a case that the everyday ceiling projection undersells him. He's the best prospect in the Blue Jays system right now, and the gap between him and the next name on the list is growing.
Johnny King's High-A Dominance Continues
Johnny King (A+, LHP, Rank: 2) has been one of the more dominant arms in the Blue Jays system all summer, and his latest start reinforced why he belongs in the conversation as a legitimate mid-rotation prospect. He went five innings without allowing a run, scattering three hits while striking out seven against three walks. It was another reminder that when the fastball-curveball combination is working, hitters at this level have very little answer. Over his last four starts he's posted a 2.84 ERA with 24 strikeouts across 19 innings, and on the season he sits at a 2.89 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 81 innings, all at age 20 against High-A competition. The 60-grade curveball is a genuine put-away weapon, and the 55-grade four-seamer plays well at the top of the zone.
The walk rate (45 walks on the season) remains the one thing keeping King from a higher probability outcome, and this week's three free passes were a reminder that the command (graded 45) has not yet taken a decisive step forward. His changeup and slider both need refinement to neutralize opposite-handed hitters at higher levels. Still, a 20-year-old left-hander posting these strikeout numbers against older competition while working four pitches is the development arc you draw up. The projection is a number-three starter, and nothing this season has pushed back against that. If the command settles into the 45-50 range and the changeup becomes a genuine third offering, the ceiling climbs further. He's the second-ranked prospect in the system, and he's earning it.
Quick Hits
Charles McAdoo (AAA, 2B, Rank: 19) · had the best week of any hitter in the system on a pure counting-stats basis, collecting 10 hits in 23 plate appearances with two home runs and 10 RBI. That brings him to 14 home runs and a .264/.363/.447 line at Triple-A Buffalo on the season. The profile has always been a broad but modest skill set without a clear carrying tool, and a week like this won't change the projection to an up-down second baseman, but the bat is doing its job. He's already logged eight big-league plate appearances this year, so the shuttle is real.
Tucker Toman (AA, SS, Rank: 20) · earned his first promotion to Double-A New Hampshire on August 4, capping a High-A Vancouver season in which he posted a .274/.399/.449 line with 11 home runs and 50 walks in 336 plate appearances. The week itself was modest production-wise (3-for-8 with a double and six walks across 14 PA), but the walks tell the story: he's drawn 50 free passes this season and hits .273 over his last 30 days. His bat-to-ball approach is the carrying trait, and it has held up all year. The defensive limitations at shortstop mean second base is the likely destination, but the offensive profile has genuinely improved from his 2025 showing (.265/.354/.372 combined).
Carson Messina (A, RHP, Rank: 40) · was the best pitcher on the board this week, throwing five hitless innings with zero earned runs and four strikeouts against three walks. The no-hit outing pushed his last-30-day ERA to 1.93 over 18.2 innings, and his full-season ERA at Single-A Dunedin sits at 3.26 with 33 strikeouts in 30.1 innings. His 55-grade fastball (93-96 mph) and 60-grade slider give him a legitimate two-pitch combination to work with, and the command (graded 40) is the variable that will determine whether he starts or moves to relief. Weeks like this one make the starter path feel more plausible.
Austin Smith (A+, OF, Rank: 44) · drove in five runs on seven hits, including a home run, across 17 plate appearances in his first week at High-A Vancouver. The promotion comes on the heels of a strong recent stretch at Single-A; over his last 30 days he's hitting .325/.440/.450 with a strikeout rate that would be impressive for a 23-year-old left-handed bat. His full-season combined numbers (.225/.356/.297) are dragged down by a rough early stretch, but the recent form suggests a real adjustment. He has a 55 speed grade and projects as a potential center fielder, and right now the bat is starting to catch up to the profile.
Josh Stephan (AAA, RHP, Rank: 41) · arrived in Buffalo courtesy of a trade deadline deal that sent Adam Macko to Texas, and he made an immediate impression: 7.1 innings, seven hits, two earned runs, zero walks, five strikeouts in his first Bisons start. He walked nobody over 7.1 innings, which is the most encouraging single-game sign for a pitcher whose command grades at 45. His Triple-A ERA on the season sits at 5.25 across 108 innings, mostly accumulated with Triple-A Round Rock, so the Blue Jays are hoping a change of scenery helps. He projects as a long reliever or swingman.
Gage Stanifer (AA, RHP, Rank: 8) · had a rough outing this week, four innings with five walks, one hit, one earned run, and five strikeouts. The walk rate has been the defining problem at Double-A all year; he's issued 54 free passes across 85 innings, and the ERA stands at 4.98. After a breakout 2025 (2.86 ERA, 35.5% strikeout rate), the jump to Double-A has exposed the fringe-average command in a way that the lower levels did not. The 60-grade slider and 55-grade fastball are still real, but the changeup is not yet a weapon, and the walks are costing him. The ceiling of a back-end starter is still there, but the command has to improve for the projection to hold.
Ricky Tiedemann (AAA, LHP, Rank: 6) · returned from the 7-day injured list on August 5. He threw one inning, walking one and throwing 6-of-11 pitches for strikes. He's battled elbow soreness and a neck issue that have left him with just five innings on the season. There is some arm talent here so it is worth watching closely as he ramps back up.
Nolan Perry (AA, RHP, Rank: 3) · also returned from the 7-day IL on August 6 at Double-A New Hampshire. His season took a pause after taking a comebacker off the side of his head. He threw three hitless innings. He struck out 4, walked 1, and hit a batter throwing 23-of-36 pitches for strikes.
Michael Mesa (RK, OF, Rank: 43) · went 6-for-18 with two doubles and two RBI for the DSL Blue Jays this week. The 17-year-old left-handed hitter is hitting .248/.339/.396 on the season with 16 doubles in 177 plate appearances. For a teenager with a 55 power grade who is still developing his approach, the gap-to-gap contact has been the most encouraging early sign. The strikeout rate (34 K in 177 PA) is manageable, and the doubles total at this age is worth tracking.
Ryan Sprock (A+, C, Rank: 37) · went 4-for-18 with two doubles, a home run, and two RBI in 18 plate appearances at Vancouver. His combined season slash sits at .289/.415/.440 with eight home runs and 58 walks against just 47 strikeouts across 354 plate appearances, a walk-to-strikeout ratio that is his calling card. For a 21-year-old catcher, posting those on-base numbers is a real skill. The projection is an up-down catcher or multi-positional depth piece, but the offensive approach has been better than expected at every stop.
Dasan Hill (A+, LHP, Rank: 4) · arrived at High-A Vancouver as part of the deadline deal that sent Jeff Hoffman to Minnesota. He hasn't thrown since July 31st, but Hill is a 20-year-old left-hander with significant upside, and landing him as a return piece is an addition that could matter a year from now. He's one to watch as he gets his first professional reps at Vancouver.