Bowling Green's Jeffry Parra swings the bat in the dugout between innings during last month's game against the Asheville Tourists at the Bowling Green Ballpark.

Jeffry Parra is getting a second chance with the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

After being selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 24th round of the 2016 MLB draft, Parra – a right-handed hitting catcher – struggled in the organization before being released in April 2021. Parra found his stride again with a couple of years in the Frontier League in independent ball – including a record-setting performance – before signing with the Tampa Bay Rays in February.

Now Parra is looking to build off the Frontier League success and continue his dream of reaching the Majors.

“I’m still young,” the 25-year old Parra said. “My wife, my parents, my agent, they told me to keep going, so I gave myself a chance. Now I am here and this is another step.”

After being drafted in 2016, Parra said it was a few rough years with lots of changes made to his swing. He hit .275 in rookie ball the first season, but the next three years the success at the plate eroded with Parra unable to hit above .190 in any season.

“When I came out of high school, I used to hit a certain way,” Parra said. “The Giants wanted to create a little more of a power swing and they changed a few things. It kinda never clicked for me.”

Midway through the 2019 season, he had knee surgery and went through 10 months of rehab. Parra said during rehab he decided to kind of go back to what he used to do, what got him there in the first place. After what he thought was a good spring with the Giants in 2021, Parra said it didn’t work out and he was released by the organization on April 28, 2021.

“That’s why I went to indie ball,” Parra said. “I felt like I had it in me, that I would figure it out.”

He signed with the Quebec Capitales in the Frontier League, determined to get back to affiliated baseball.

“It was a different kind of baseball,” Parra said. “I was doing it for fun, doing what I love. That kind of made the game better. I struggled sometimes, but my manager always let me play my game. I just had fun out there and things worked out.”

Parra added being in Quebec helped him to relax.

“Out there in Canada. fans are really into the game,” Parra said. “From the first pitch to the last they are on their feet cheering you on. It felt different playing there, but it was fun.”

Parra also took advantage of playing alongside former major leaguer Gift Ngoepe, trying to learn as much as he could from his experience in baseball. That mentorship has blossomed into a lasting friendship, with the two still in constant contact today.

“Me and him were pretty close,” Parra said. “He told me, ‘Keep doing this and one day you are going to get back to where you need to be.’ I picked his brain a lot. He knew a lot about baseball – a great baseball guy, a great friend.”

After hitting 13 homers total in his time in the Giants organization, Parra hit 15 in 92 games with Quebec in 2021. He said he thought that was enough to get the attention of MLB teams, but ultimately no one showed interest.

“It was a little frustrating, I’m not going to lie, going from not hitting at all to having a pretty good year,” Parra said. “The league was competitive. A lot of people got signed out of there. A friend of mine told me, maybe you just have to double your numbers. They told me the story of someone who went to indie ball and it took 30 home runs for him to get out. Honestly I didn’t know I was going to do it, but I went there with the mentality that I have to hit 30.”

Parra did just that in 2022, taking aim at Eddie Lantigua’s league record 31 homers in 2005. He said he wasn’t thinking about the record at first.

“When I saw I was on track I was like this is going to be a thing,” Parra said. “I was feeling pretty good, barreling a lot of balls up. When I got close to 30, then I was really trying to get it.”

That day arrived the final weekend of the season. Parra hit 32 homers in 86 games in 2022, setting a new mark for the league.

“Other than being drafted I think that was one of the coolest moments in my career,” Parra said. “We had three games left and I was tied for the record. There was a packed house every day knowing I could get the record. Every time I went to the plate, they were wanting me to hit it. It took me until the second to last day to do it in my first at-bat. … It was a great feeling. Everybody was cheering me on.”

Despite the record season, Parra said he was still not sure he was going to get a shot. Then in the offseason, his manager from Quebec called him and told him the Rays were going to sign him the next day. The Rays made it official on Feb. 3.

“I was not expecting that at all,” Parra said. “Things worked out and it happened in like two or three days.”

Parra said he settling into Bowling Green nicely. He’s hit two homers in 16 games this season.

“It’s great,” Parra said. “I love this stadium. I’ve been in this league before so I know what it is like. It’s great to be back and great to have another opportunity at my dream – to play in the big leagues.”

While playing in the majors remains his ultimate goal, he said for the short term he wants to continue to make a name for himself.

“My goal for the year is to just get my name out there,” Parra said. “I came from nothing, basically. The Rays are giving me a chance. The goal for me is to have a good year so people will know my name. At the end of the day if you can put a foot in the door, little by little things will happen. My past few years of affiliated ball haven’t been great, so I want to have a good year, put myself on the map and take it from there.”{&end}