Stephen Parker
| AB | 2146 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .267 |
| OBP | .352 |
| SLG | .412 |
| HR | 52 |
- Full name Stephen Calder Parker
- Born 09/03/1987 in American Fork, UT
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Brigham Young
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Drafted in the 5th round (153rd overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2009 (signed for $165,600).
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The first player likely to be selected out of the Beehive State is Brigham Young third baseman Steve Parker, who drew glowing praise from coaches and scouts. BYU recruiting coordinator Ryan Roberts said he likes Parker's chance to hit in the big leagues more than any other player he's coached in his 12 years in the business. The numbers back up the rave reviews. In 205 at-bats, Parker hit .361/.465/.595 with 13 doubles and nine home runs. He shows good pitch recognition and strong wrists. He can drive the ball the other way with authority and is short to the ball with a swing that spends a lot of time in the strike zone. Parker has worked hard to improve his defense at third base, cutting his errors in half this season. He's still likely to move off the position, perhaps to second base, but even if he goes to first base he is a pure enough hitter to warrant a Mark Grace comparison from one scout.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Parker breezed through his first three pro seasons before having an up-and-down 2012 campaign at Sacramento. He hit 21 homers in high Class A in 2010 but has gone deep just 17 times over the last two seasons, including just once in the second half of 2012. His questionable power diminishes his prospect status. Parker has tried to generate more pop, but he's a contact-first hitter with a natural, easy approach. He has a good eye at the plate and one of the purer swings in the system, a short stroke that allows him to spray balls all over the field. Scouts can see him hitting for average power if he learns to drive more pitches. Parker has developed into an adequate third baseman, though his defense doesn't stand out either. He has solid hands and can make the routine plays, showing improved reactions and using better angles last season. He still made 14 errors in 88 games at the hot corner, however. He had an unusual throwing motion in college but has smoothed that out and now shows an average arm. He has below-average speed with decent baserunning instincts. If Parker is going to make a bid for Oakland's third-base job, he'll need to do it quickly with Miles Head coming up behind him. The A's opted not to protect Parker on their 40-man roster this offseason and likely will send him back to Sacramento to open 2013. -
Parker was the Mountain West Conference co-freshman of the year in 2007, sharing the award with Stephen Strasburg. He hasn't had to face Strasburg since turning pro, and the pitchers he has seen haven't slowed him down. Parker ranked fifth in the Texas League in both hits (144) and walks (69) last season, earning a promotion to Triple-A at the tail end of just his second full year in the minors. Parker has a simple swing that's direct to the ball when he's going well, though it can get long and loopy at times. He has a capable feel for hitting and should keep putting up solid averages as he moves up, but his power might only be barely acceptable for a corner player. He'll probably settle in around 15-20 homers per year, but to get there, the A's want him to be more aggressive and swing with intent more consistently. He doesn't make much hard contact whenever he goes the other way. Parker cut down on his errors at the hot corner, going from 33 in 2010 to 20 last season, but he still tied for the most among TL third basemen. Despite the miscues, Oakland was encouraged by how hard he worked on his defense, and they believe he can become an average third baseman. The A's put him on a throwing program and he ironed out the unorthodox throwing motion he had in college, giving him a quality arm for the left side of the infield. Even if Parker has only fringy power for a third baseman, his bat should earn him a shot at the majors, possibly as soon as 2012, which he'll begin in Triple-A. -
Parker shared Mountain West Conference freshman of the year honors in 2007 with Stephen Strasburg. While he didn't go on to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 like Strasburg did, Parker had a productive career with Brigham Young and went in the fifth round of the draft. In his first full pro season last year, he led the system with 98 RBIs and ranked second in the California League with 84 walks. Parker has a swing that's efficient and short to the ball, and he has shown more power than scouts projected when he came out of college. He hit 25 homers in three years at BYU, then went deep 21 times for Stockton, and the A's think he can continue to hit 20 homers a season as he advances. He doesn't sell out for power, either, using an easy swing and showing a good feel for hitting. His defense is another story, as his 33 errors were the most of any Cal League third baseman. He has a funky arm action and his arm strength is just adequate. He's not agile and could have to move to left field, but he's also a below-average runner. Parker will move up to Double-A in 2011, and he'll go as far as his bat takes him.
