Dodgers: Who is Spring Training Break Out Star Jake Peter?
The Dodgers have been hit hard by the flu bug this spring and the beneficiary of all the players missing games has been Jake Peter.
The Dodgers swung a trade this off-season to bolster their bullpen when they acquired Scott Alexander in a three-team deal with the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox. The Dodgers also acquired Jake Peter who was largely thought to be just a throw-in part of the trade. So far this spring, it appears Jake Peter is making a strong first impression on the Dodgers.
Jake Peter is currently the Dodgers 30th ranked prospect and last year with the White Sox he was ranked as high as their 16th best prospect in their organization. Peter’s minor league statistics show a little bit of everything. In 2014 with part of his season in rookie ball and part of his season in Single-A, Peter hit an impressive .332. Then in 2015 he played a full season in Single-A and stole twenty-three bases while only being caught stealing three times.
Power wise the most home runs he ever hit in a minor league season was last year when Peter played 75 games at Double-A and 45 games in Triple-A while hitting thirteen home runs. Defensively, Jake Peter has appeared at every infield position except catcher and every outfield position. Last year for the Charlotte Knights and Birmingham Barons, Peter played right field, left field, second base, and third base.
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Peter was a seventh-round draft pick in 2014, and according to Future Sox blog, he topped out at 96 miles per hour as a pitcher in college. The blog also viewed Peter as a future big league utility infielder with an ETA in the big leagues of 2017. Peter likely would have been stranded in the White Sox minor league system due to them having one of the best farm systems in the game. While the Dodgers also have a deep farm system, Peter making an impressive first impression could help him out down the road.
This spring for the Dodgers, Peter has hit .375 with three home runs, eleven RBI’s, and an impressive 1.415 OPS. It’s safe to say that Peter has taken full advantage of the added playing time due to the Dodgers flu bug that is going around the locker room. On Saturday Peter played third base after Turner left the game and kept on displaying his hot bat with three RBI’s and a triple.
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While Peter is almost assured to start the season at Triple-A, he has done enough to get his name on the front office’s radar as a potential call-up later this season. Peter has the kind of defensive versatility that the front office loves. While he may not be the next Chris Taylor who was also pegged as a utility infielder before breaking out, he could give the Dodgers another Kike Hernandez type utility player.