Jarrod Parker is a Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

 in the Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...

. He was drafted by the Diamondbacks 9th overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft

2007 Major League Baseball Draft

The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 7 and June 8, 2007...

. He was drafted straight out of high school from Norwell High School

Norwell High School (Indiana)

Norwell High School was opened in the fall of 1968 after a consolidation between Rockcreek, Union, Lancaster, and Ossian High Schools. Located in Wells County, Indiana, Norwell serves the entire Northern Wells Community School district. The school district is located in the northern part of Wells...

 in Ossian, Indiana

Ossian, Indiana

Ossian is a town in Jefferson Township, Wells County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,289 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ossian is located at ....

. On October 28, 2009, Parker underwent successful Tommy John surgery

Tommy John surgery

Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...

 and missed the entire 2010 season. He is the Diamondbacks top prospect despite the injury. .

Draft

Parker was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...

 with the 9th overall pick of the 2007 amateur draft

2007 Major League Baseball Draft

The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 7 and June 8, 2007...

 and signed with the Diamondbacks on August 15, 2007 for $2.1M. Parker was 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.

Minor leagues

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, pitching for the South Bend Silver Hawks. He had a 12-5 record with a 3.44 ERA, fanning 177 in 117 innings. After starting 2009 at high A Visalia, he was promoted in April to the Diamondbacks Double A affiliate, the Mobile BayBears. During a start on July 30, Parker injured his right elbow. He did not pitch again that season and ended up requiring Tommy John surgery

Tommy John surgery

Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...

. He spent the 2011 season with Mobile in the South Atlantic League

South Atlantic League

The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...

, with an 11-8 record.

Major leagues

He made his MLB debut on 27 September, 2011, against the Dodgers. He pitched five plus innings of shutout ball.

Pitching repertoire

Parker's main pitch is his 96-MPH fast ball. He has also mixed a modest slider, curve, and change into his arsenal. His curveball and slider both hit 78-MPH but don't have much movement. Much like his breaking pitches, he doesn't use his changeup often either (which is around 82-MPH). He has the command to throw any of his pitches for strikes, which does make them very effective.

External links