Hey Mr. D.J.
Welcome to the Ms
So Lonnie and I have been talking his potential to the Ms since about February. We'd drafted him before, we liked him, and today we drafted him again in the first. DJ Peterson, welcome to the Mariners. 
 
What I said about him a few weeks ago:
 
DJ Peterson, RH college 1B – everyone hates his D at 3rd, but has echoes of Gar at the plate so the bat is his major league tool. Why you should care: because he looks like freaking GAR at the plate.  Didn’t you hear me?  He has the same batting stance, the same elbow placement, the same kind of swing, the same all-field ability… he lunges at too many pitches but other than that he’s really clean.  It'll come down to pitch recognition and zone control, which I can't tell at this point. He doesn’t hit for “as much” HR power as you might want for a future 1B type (he plays in Albuquerque which is a bit of a launching pad being at 5000 feet, so don’t take his HR totals at full value) and yes, he’s RH, but man… if he comes through on his promise as a pure hitter you’re not gonna care.  Some people HATE Peterson and barely have him in the first round, if at all, but I’d personally be happy to take another “worst pick in the first round” nominee like Nick Franklin was. So I guess I like him more than most. And if any team would value an Edgar-type enough to "overdraft" him it would be the Ms you'd think.  Don't be surprised at all to hear his name.
 
And there he is.  Now, I'm not saying he's Gar.  If he is anything CLOSE we just blew the doors off this draft, but something more like Billy Butler is fine.  But where does he play?
 
DJ still thinks he's gonna be at third baseman.  "I'm a third baseman, and I'm gonna show them I'm a third baseman until they move me." Nick Franklin said the same thing about being a shortstop. Sometimes the move happens anyway, but until it does, I wish him luck at third.
 
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And if he moves to first, he's one of the few right-handed 1B that won't scare me.  He has good defensive actions, just not a lot of footspeed. Jeff Bagwell was a six-foot tall RH first baseman who played great D.  Konerko is a fine right-hander. Not to keep busting out HOF comps, but his size and his handedness don't scare me because he's such a quality hitter.  I love his hands and wrists, the way he can crush inside pitches, and he goes the other way fine. 
 
With right-handed first basemen I have concerns about how much they'll hit and how they play D.  A converted 3B can handle the position fine for me.  I mean, could Seager play 1B?  Liddi plays it fine.  Allen Craig is a recent example of a RH, converted-3B who has plenty of ability at first and can play the position right-handed, with the offensive profile you'd want.  Now some people hate Craig at first, but since we have a DH spot if it comes down to that.
 
Mostly, though, he's a hitter.  I think he'll be like Youkilis and can play some 3B, more 1B, and pepper the wall with XBHs. 
 
My advice? Be happy.  We have a pair of RH college hitters in Zunino and Peterson now to balance out our more-lefty lineup, and both guys should have power.  If Zunino and Peterson don't turn into lineup mainstays and RBI guys then we're in trouble... but they should.
 
I think Peterson is a very good pick for us, and as a bonus we might not have to pay full slot for him so we might be able to buy a later pick out of college.  We'll see how we feel about it by what harder-signs we attempt through round 10.
 
Round 2 coming up!
 
~G
Blog: 

Comments

1

There are people who don't think Peterson will hit. Or at least not mash like he did in college.  He played in Isotopes Stadium, which is higher than Coors Field.  IIRC it's the second-highest ballpark in the nation to Security Service Field, but they use a humidor in Colorado Springs now so the NM stadium has inflated stats above even that.
I agree, he's not gonna be a total home-run smasher... but that's why I'm giving the Butler/Youk offensive comps.  40+ doubles, 20+ HRs, high average, great plate coverage, whole field usage, aggressive hitting profile who has learned to take walks when pitchers won't throw him anything.
Now, what's fun: what if he does better? He played for Team USA last year and doubled up the next closest player on "hard-hit balls" and lead the team in "quality at-bats."  His solid-contact skills are what sold me on him.  Some guys look great in the cage and terrible when the balls start bending.  DJ is not one of those guys.
International competition doesn't scare him.  Any kind of competition doesn't.  He has a big chip on his shoulder from getting his scholarship pulled at the last minute by Arizona.  He hasn't forgotten it, and I don't think he'll ever forget it.  He's a VERY self-motivated player.
It'll be interesting to watch.
~G

2
glmuskie's picture

Loved how he stood in the batters box in the video, how he took his cuts. Quick to the ball, had that contained energy look - muscles tensed, but relaxed and balanced. Menacing. You're right G, similar poise and intensity that Gar had at the plate.
And if his coach's comments about his makeup are to be believed, he's got the right sort of chip on his shoulder, ala Nick Franklin.
I like this pick quite a lot.

3
glmuskie's picture

Also, if the guy feels like he's been dissed by baseball, the M's are the perfect fit, having believed in him before more than any other MLB team. Come on in, DJ, and unleash your wrath on the establishment!

4

40 doubles and 20 HR, will take a walk when they don't throw him anything to hit. Hits to all fields. Chip on his shoulder, underdog work ethic. I'll take another Kyle Seagar in the lineup any day of the week.

5
M-Pops's picture

Looks to start his hands a little lower than young Manny, but the throughstroke looks very similar. Short to the ball and really just pivots or hinges without any power-sapping "slide." The swing is proven. Let's hope his hand-eye is half what Manny's was.

6

"He's got tremendous hand speed and vision," Birmingham said. "He can see sliders and changeups way ahead. I've been coaching for 35 years, and I haven't seen that much. He can see things coming, and he's become a patient hitter.
"He used to be a kid that was too aggressive, trying to hit everything," said Birmingham. "He learned patience and letting the ball come to him. When he did that, it was game over -- he became a .400 hitter. People say his power was because of altitude, but he hit home runs and tape-measure shots everywhere we went."

Peterson himself confirmed strongly again that he views himself as a 3B:

"Not having another first baseman, I was kind of stuck in a hard place there," Peterson said in a conference call with Seattle reporters from his parents' home in Gilbert, Ariz. "But I sucked it up and did it for my team. Just like with the Mariners, if they told me, 'Hey, we want you to slide to first to get to the big leagues,' that's what I would do. But I feel very strongly in my third-base skills, and that's where I want to stay and I want to prove to the Mariners that's where I want to play."

And talking about his growth from the last time the Ms drafted him:

"Just the maturity, the plate discipline, being able to handle the bat with two strikes, cutting down on my punchouts, my footwork, my time to first base, my range at third base," Peterson said. "I'm sure if you asked the scouting department at the Mariners, they're probably in shock about how much I improved my defensive skills and my speed. I worked on all those things, and it paid off for me and pushed me to this first-round pick."

Seriously, love the kid. If he doesn't work out it won't be from lack of effort or hitting tools.  As skeptical as I am about our second round pick Austin Wilson, even with his power potential and pretty swing, I'm a believer on Peterson.  Hope he signs quickly and we get him in the minors for half a season this year. 
~G

7
GLS's picture

My guess is this will close quickly. They drafted him before and they've obviously been following him. I'm sure there's some sort of relationship.

8
TAD's picture

Don't know if it's a coincidence (I don't believe in coincidences) but all the hitters taken thru the first 6 rounds of the draft, with the exception of the glove first SS, have the physical make-up to hit the ball a long ways.

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