SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In his second full season in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, UC Santa Barbara Baseball product Aaron Parker has continued to elevate himself and his status as a prospect. After earning a call-up to the Blue Jays' Double-A affiliate New Hampshire Fisher Cats and mashing 19 homers, the former catcher earned not only an invitation to the Arizona Fall League, but also to its midseason showcase: the Fall Stars Game on Nov. 8.
 
Parker was assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League for this season. Carrying his summer momentum straight into autumn, the former Gaucho has hit .357/.481/.524 in Mesa. Beyond his production at the plate, Parker has expanded his defensive versatility by stepping into left field in addition to his catching duties. He highlighted the first half of his fall in Arizona with a monstrous 451-foot home run to the left center field, tied for the fourth-longest in the Arizona Fall League season, in a 14-5 Mesa victory. Coming into the Fall Stars game, Parker has 12 RBIs and 12 runs scored to go along with his two AFL home runs.
 
Prior to his minor league breakthrough, Parker put together a historic final collegiate season with UC Santa Barbara in 2024. Starting all 48 games for the Gauchos, Parker had the team's best slash line, leading the team in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging, hitting .379/.460/.632 while adding 12 doubles, 12 home runs and a team high of 51 RBIs. He finished ranked among the top five Big West Hitters in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base-plus slugging percentage (OPS), RBIs, home runs, and runners caught stealing among catchers. This outstanding performance earned Parker a day-two selection in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft as the Blue Jays' sixth-round pick.
 
Parker's impressive fall run, despite being spent partially in left field, makes him one of four American League catchers selected for this year's Fall Stars Game. Established in 2006 this game showcases the top emerging talent in professional baseball as the All-Star Game for the AFL. The Fall Stars Game will take place at Scottsdale's Salt River Field on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. Fans can watch the 20th annual showcase event on MLB Network and streaming live on MLB.com.