Aaron Parker Turns Late Call Into Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby Title

Aaron Parker turned a late-night phone call into an Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby championship, hitting 19 home runs and beating Tai Peete 2-1 in the final on Saturday night in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Toronto Blue Jays catching prospect was not originally in the eight-man field. Parker was watching a movie with teammates when he learned at 10:30 p.m. Friday that Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Chase Harlan had withdrawn. Less than 24 hours later, Parker had won the title in his first home run derby.

• Champion: Aaron Parker, Mesa Solar Sox/Toronto Blue Jays
• Total home runs: 19, the most in the field
• Final: Parker 2, Tai Peete 1
• Title-clinching drive: 477 feet
• Longest home run: 497 feet

Parker survives two demanding rounds

Parker opened the knockout portion against San Diego Padres prospect Alex McCoy, who produced the longest drive of the night at 503 feet. Parker answered with a 12-7 victory, matching Colorado Rockies catcher Jack O’Dowd for the highest first-round total.

The semifinal against Kansas City Royals prospect Brooks Bryan supplied the night’s real tension. Parker had only two home runs through nine swings and was down to his final two outs. He then hit three consecutive home runs to escape with a 5-4 win and reach the final.

Peete, the St. Louis Cardinals’ No. 17 prospect, had been the most efficient hitter in the earlier rounds. He eliminated Eric Bitonti 9-8 without using an out and then beat O’Dowd 4-3. But Peete managed one home run in the final, allowing Parker to end the contest with his second homer in three swings.

A power season gets a signature moment

The 23-year-old Parker entered the event with two Arizona Fall League home runs, including a 451-foot shot. He also hit a career-best 19 home runs during the 2026 Minor League season, his first professional campaign with a double-digit total.

Parker’s power is not limited to a one-night showcase. MLB Pipeline reported that his 90th-percentile exit velocity averaged 107.9 mph in 2026, placing him in the top one percent of Minor League hitters. Through 12 games with the Mesa Solar Sox, the 2024 sixth-round pick from UC Santa Barbara was batting .356 with a .483 on-base percentage and a .511 slugging percentage.

His title joined Parker with previous Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby winners Robert Perez Jr., Kalai’i Rosario, Garrett Martin and Tony Blanco Jr. The difference was the route: Parker went from an unexpected replacement to champion in less than a day.