Parker Markel

Parker Michael Markel

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 220 lb.
• School Yavapai College
• High School Mountain Ridge High School
• Debut May 12, 2019

• Born September 15, 1990 in Newport Beach, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Parker Markel was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 39th round of the 2010 amateur draft out of Yavapai College, one year after having been taken in the 32nd round of the 2009 amateur draft by the Detroit Tigers when he graduated from high school.

As is typical of a late-round draftee, the odds were stacked against the young pitcher to make it to the Show, but he persevered and made it in his tenth pro season, in 2019, by which time he was with his third organization, the Seattle Mariners. In his best season, he went 11-5, 4.13 in 24 starts for the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League in 2012, and he made it to AAA with the Durham Bulls in 2015 and 2016, by which time he was a relief pitcher. After being out of professional baseball in 2017, he returned to action in the independent leagues in 2018 with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association.

That got him a contract with Seattle, and after starting 2019 in AA with the Arkansas Travelers and being promoted to the AAA Tacoma Rainiers after 5 games, he finally got his chance. He first stepped on a major league mound on May 12th, giving up 2 runs in 1 inning in an 11-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He pitched three more times for Seattle before being sent back, was called up for another appearance in Seattle on July 12th, but at that point he had given up at least one run in each of his big league outings for an ERA of 15.43. He was placed on waivers shortly afterwards and was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 27th. In the interim, he had pitched well for Tacoma, going 2-0, 2.60 with 8 saves in 22 appearances. After 4 games with the Indianapolis Indians, in which he did not give up a run in 6 innings, he was called up to Pittsburgh. He finished the season with 15 games in the National League, going 0-1, 6.23. Following the season, on October 31st, he was purchased by the Los Angeles Angels.

Parker never actually pitched for the Angels, since his time with the team coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic when the minor leagues were shut down. He was signed by the San Diego Padres following that season and was with the AAA El Paso Chihuahuas in 2021, going 3-2, 4.42 in 41 games. He was signed as a free agent by the Oakland Athletics before the 2022 season and got to appear three more times in the majors in May and June of that season with no decisions and no runs allowed in three innings. However, the bulk of his work was done in the minors for the Las Vegas Aviators, where he went 3-0, 1.89 in 17 games. The Chicago White Sox claimed him off waivers after his short stint in the majors but he completely lost his mojo with the AAA Charlotte Knights, putting up an ERA of 10.29 in 29 games. He called it a career at that point, at the age of 31.

But Parker couldn't stay away from baseball. Before the 2024 season, he signed with another independent league team, the newly-formed Hagerstown Flying Boxcars of the Atlantic League. He had not started a professional game since 2016 at that point, but he was selected to take the mound on Opening Day for the franchise, on April 25th against the York Revolution. What followed was out of a fairy tale as he completely muffled York's batters over six innings, allowing no hits and a walk while striking out 7 batters. Two relievers, Domingo Jimenez and Enrique Santana, handled the final three innings and completed the combined no-hitter and 4-0 win for Hagerstown.

Related Sites

• Parker Markel on mlb.com