Blake Parker is a former professional baseball pitcher who played for several teams during his career. He was born on June 19, 1985, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and attended the University of Arkansas. Parker was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 16th round of the 2006 MLB draft.
Parker made his MLB debut with the Cubs in 2012, appearing in 16 games and posting a 2.70 ERA. He spent the next few seasons bouncing between the Cubs and their minor league affiliates before being claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners in 2015. He appeared in just one game for the Mariners before being claimed off waivers again, this time by the New York Yankees.
Parker spent the majority of the 2016 season in the Yankees' minor league system before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels in August. He appeared in 17 games for the Angels that season, posting a 4.67 ERA. Parker had a breakout season in 2017, appearing in 71 games for the Angels and posting a 2.54 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 67.1 innings pitched.
After the 2017 season, Parker became a free agent and signed with the Minnesota Twins. He appeared in 68 games for the Twins in 2018, posting a 3.26 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched. Parker signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2019 season and appeared in 60 games, posting a 4.21 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched.
Parker signed with the Los Angeles Angels for the 2020 season but was released in August after appearing in just 16 games with a 5.40 ERA. He signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds in January 2021 but was released in March before the start of the season.
Overall, Parker appeared in 324 MLB games over his career, posting a 3.63 ERA with 365 strikeouts in 329 innings pitched. He was known for his ability to strike out batters and his versatility as a relief pitcher, often pitching in high-leverage situations.
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