Throughout his twin sons’ lives, Joseph “Jop” Parker has been teaching them not to dwell on negativity, not to fear failure, not to be daunted by obstacles. Parker has instilled in his boys, JoJo and Jacob, a belief that a higher power has a plan and a purpose for them.
These are concepts many parents pass down to their progeny.
But coming from Jop, who has been confined to a wheelchair ever since he suffered a spinal injury as a teenager, they mean a bit more to 18-year-olds JoJo and Jacob Parker, both of whom are MLB Draft prospects potentially on the precipice of a pro baseball career.
“He got hurt when he was 16,” says Jacob. “We’re doing things that he wasn’t able to do at this age. I mean, he was fighting for his life when he was how old we are right now. So we’re just blessed to be in this opportunity, and we’re living our dream.”
When Jop fractured his cervical spinal cord while making a tackle in a Purvis (Miss.) High School football game during his junior year, he was told by some he’d never achieve his dreams.
Wouldn’t graduate high school.
Wouldn’t be able to pursue a college degree.
Wouldn’t have a family.
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But he’s also a successful lawyer, having operated his own practice in his hometown. He now is a sitting judge in Mississippi’s Lamar County.
“Having [someone who overcame] that adversity living in your house,” says JoJo, “is proof that you can do anything you put your mind to. It’s really cool to have him along our side.”
Adds Mechelle: “Joseph is an amazing human being. He's never let anything stop him. He doesn't take no for an answer, and so he pushes us all to be better people and just to always excel at whatever we're doing.”
The twins have certainly excelled.
At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, JoJo has excellent athleticism, a strong gap-to-gap approach with his left-handed swing and is becoming more powerful. His stellar senior season at Purvis shot him up Draft boards. He was the 2025 Gatorade High School Player of the Year for Mississippi and could be a top 10 pick in the July 13 Draft.
Jacob is listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, with more raw power in a bat prone toward elite exit velocities and also in an arm that adds to his outfield profile.
The twins are fraternal, not identical. And they have different personalities -- JoJo more reserved, Jacob more outspoken.
What they share is strong faith and an unshakable friendship.
“We’re each other’s biggest fans, but also each other's biggest competitors,” JoJo says. “So just having a shadow always by your side and doing something together, especially baseball, is one way we push each other and make out the best versions of ourselves.”
The twins have both committed to Mississippi State but know they could be embarking upon their first real separation from each other, should one or both take the professional route.
“We’re ready for it,” Jacob says.
Their father has prepared them for whatever life brings.
“We have the ability as human beings to choose joy,” Jop says. “I’ve always taken the stance that, yes, we’re going to have failures in our life, and baseball is a game of failure. But it also gives us the opportunity to bounce back and overcome certain obstacles that we can’t control. I can’t control what happened to me. And so that’s the foundation we’ve built with the boys. Give effort, have a good attitude and leave it on the field.”
To the twins, Jop is just a normal guy who happens to be in a wheelchair. His injury has not prevented him from being fully invested in their lives.
“I wish he could throw BP to us,” JoJo says. “That’s the only thing I wish. But I think that’s why God gave him twins.”
Things are about to get very real very fast for Jop’s boys. Draft decisions. Moving away from home. And all the daily difficulties that come with trying to reach the highest level in a demanding and crowded sport.
But this is where they’ll rely on the amazing, inspiring example their father set.
“In life, you know, we can't control what happens to us,” Jop says. “So what? Let's move on. Let’s see what happens. Let’s see what God has for us. Let's choose to do right and choose to have character and integrity in our lives.”