THE APEX TIMES
The Blue Jays prospect went deep with a 451-foot homer and continues learning a new defensive assignment as part of his Arizona Fall League run.
In Arizona Fall League play, Blue Jays prospect Aaron Parker reminded evaluators why his bat is so hard to gameplan for, crushing a 451-foot home run that helped propel Mesa to a 14-5 win.
The blast came off Peoria right-hander Kiefer Lord, who left a 96-mph fastball over the heart of the plate. Parker’s homer was tied for the fourth-longest of the AFL season, underlining the ceiling Toronto is hoping to develop.
The bigger storyline is where Parker is trying to do it. Before the AFL, he had spent essentially his entire pro reps as a catcher, with only three outfield games in the final two weeks of the Eastern League regular season. During the AFL, the team has rotated him through multiple looks, including six starts in left field, four at designated hitter, and one behind the plate.
Parker has also earned a spot in Sunday’s Fall Stars Game. Through his first 11 games in the AFL, he hit.357/.481/.524 with two home runs, and the release notes he had earned opportunities based on how dangerous he has been at the plate.
Even with the learning curve of playing outfield, the organization is working toward a clearer path to everyday roles. The report describes his game as attack-oriented, with 90th percentile exit velocities averaging 107.9 mph, and it frames the defensive focus as a priority as he tries to “add another tool to the bag.”