Twins Jacob and Jojo Parker couldn't play catch with their dad. He got them to the MLB draft anyway

New York Times

09-07-2025

PHOENIX — Jop Parker grew up playing on the same baseball field that his sons, JoJo and Jacob Parker, used to transform themselves into potential first-round picks in the MLB Draft. At the same small Purvis, Mississippi high school. And with the same big dreams of playing professional baseball.
JoJo and Jacob, fraternal twins, will almost certainly achieve part of their dream when they hear their names called in the upcoming MLB Draft, which begins on Sunday. It will be the culmination of years of hard work, and the beginning of an even more important journey. It will mean a lot to them, but be an even more poignant moment for their father, a two-sport athlete in high school with aspirations to play baseball professionally whose own dreams were cut short.
Advertisement
On Oct. 24, 1997 — a decade before his sons were even born — Jop lost virtually all ability to walk or move. Then a junior on the Purvis HS football team, Jop went to make a tackle. He broke his neck, paralyzing nearly his entire body.
'I'd love to play catch with them. I'd love to feed them baseballs,' Jop said. 'They'll tell you I'm their hitting coach, and it's almost an oxymoron. Your hitting coach is a guy in a wheelchair that can't pick up a bat. But they've come to understand and realize that communication is key in this life.
'It's been tough, but it's never been abnormal.'
All JoJo and Jacob know is their father in a wheelchair. Jop's injury occurred at around the same age his sons are now. Instead of preparing for the MLB draft, he spent eight months in two different rehabilitation centers — learning how to adjust to his new life.
Now, nearly 30 years later, Jop will watch with his whole family as his two sons take the next step towards formally beginning their professional careers.
JoJo, a prototypical shortstop, is largely expected to go somewhere among the first 15 picks. Jacob — taller and heavier — is a power-hitting outfielder, projected to be taken somewhere in the top three or four rounds. JoJo ranked 10th in Keith Law's final top-100 prospect ranking, while Jacob ranked 69th.
Wherever they get selected, they'll watch the draft at home with their whole family. It will be a 'surreal' experience, Jop said. He may or may not have ever been good enough to play professionally, but the chance to find out was taken from him. In that vacuum, his story and wisdom have made it possible for his children to actually reach that level.
'He's a confidence guy,' Jacob said. 'He gives us a ton of confidence. He's always uplifting. It's really amazing.
'We can see the hard work and the success he's had. His story is kind of crazy. There's really no excuse for us to not put in the work and not have the work ethic.'
Advertisement
Jop's life has not been defined by his injury.
After his eight-month rehab, he returned to high school and was able to skip directly to his senior year. A year later, he attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where he met Mechelle, who would become his wife two years later.
He went to law school, became a lawyer, and now serves as a Lamar County Court judge. Which, as JoJo joked, meant his kids 'couldn't get away with anything growing up.'
Jop couldn't be on the field with them. He couldn't have a catch, as sons and fathers do. But he attended every single game, went on recruiting trips, and provided the framework for achieving a goal through the example he set overcoming obstacles to lead his fulfilling life.
'I honestly think that's why God gave us a brother, to throw BP to each other,' JoJo said. 'My mom and dad have taught us to be great young men. I can't thank them enough to put us in that spot.'
Mississippi is not known as a hotbed of high school baseball talent. Jacob said it wasn't until midway through this season that they started noticing a lot more interest from MLB scouts, and began to realize their 'helium' might translate into a legitimately high draft selection.
They're used to playing with each other, doing everything together. They're both committed to Mississippi State, though are unlikely to reach campus. Their home visits from MLB teams have been joint meetings. Even many of their interviews have been done together.
But the very nature of the draft means it's likely they'll be going their separate ways when they turn pro.
'It's a one-in-30 chance,' JoJo said. 'I think we're going to support each other any way we go. We'll stay in touch.
'Whatever happens happens. If we play for the same team, that'd be really cool.'
It's all perspective they've learned from their father, that potential disappointments are not life- or career-defining. Jop said his sons know that being a baseball player is not who they are, it's just what they do. It's what they enjoy.
Advertisement
They also understand that it can be taken away from them at any moment. That reality accompanies them every day, in a way that's both painful and inspirational.
'They've never known anything different,' Jop said. 'And I've really never known anything different with them.'
When they were little, they'd throw their father baseballs. He could wheel over to them, but couldn't throw them back. As they've grown up, they have come to understand their father's limitations.
Physically, he will never be the athlete he'd hoped to be when he was a teenager. He'll never do the same things that most fathers do with their ball-playing sons. But, Jop has never been defined by his limitations, and his accomplishments have set the foundation for his sons as they take the next step in life.
Jop's journey has also given them perspective on what they are about to experience. That no matter what happens in their careers, they'll always be their father's sons. They'll always be a family with a deep love for the game, whether or not they're able to play it.
'It's been fun to watch them grow up in the same area and community that I grew up in,' Jop said. 'They got to traverse the same field that I played on. Our family are baseball players. We just have enjoyed this game.'
(Top photo of Jacob, left, and Jojo: Mark J. Rebilas/ USA TODAY)