Scouting the 2017 Draft: David Peterson

David Peterson, LHP, College(Oregon).  6'6" 235 lbs.

2017:  9-2, 1.94, 74.1 IP, 6 BB, 107 K's.

Peterson is a big college lefty who has been on scouting radars since HS.  He put up modest numbers his freshman and sophomore seasons for Oregon, but has really broken out big time this year with some eye-popping strikeout numbers with a miniscule walk rate.  Peterson has a 4-pitch mix that includes a FB that averages 92 and hits 94 MPH with nasty tailing action to RH batters.  He backs that up with a slider, curve and changeup, the latter of which he seldom uses because he doesn't have to.  Earlier this season, Peterson fanned 17 batters in one game and last night he fanned an astonishing 20.  He was not on most pre-season draft boards but his stock is on the rise with current projections in the late first round with a chance to go higher.  I could see the Giants being very interested in a college LHP like him as they have always like size in their pitchers.  He has enough stuff to have a high ceiling with enough polish to move fast in the system.

*********************************************************************************

DrB's Updated 2017 Draft Board:

1.  Brendan McKay LHP/1B, College(Louisville).
2.  JB Bakauskas RHP, College(North Carolina).
3.  Hunter Greene RHP/SS, HS.
4.  Adam Hasely, OF, College(Virginia).
5.  Jordan Adell, OF, HS.
6.  Ricardo De La Torre, SS, HS.
7.  Austin Beck, OF, HS.
8.  Heliot Ramos, OF, HS.
9.  Jeren Kendall, OF, College(Vanderbilt).
10. Shane Baz, RHP, HS.
11. Brady McConnell, SS, HS.
12. Mark Vientos, SS, HS.
13.  Alex Faedo, RHP, College(Florida).
14.  Royce Lewis, SS/OF, HS.
15.  DL Hall, LHP, HS.
16.  Trevor Rogers, LHP, HS.
17.  Mackenzie Gore, LHP, HS.
18.  Wil Crowe, RHP, College(South Carolina).
19.  Brendon Little, LHP, JC(State College of Florida).
20.  David Peterson, LHP, College(Oregon).
21.  Kyle Wright, RHP, College(Vanderbilt).
22.  Alex Scherff, RHP, HS.
23.  Hans Crouse, RHP, HS.
24.  Jacob Heatherly, LHP, HS.
25.  Logan Warmoth, SS, College(North Carolina).
26.  Brewer Hicklen, OF, College(UAB).
27.  Calvin Mitchell, OF, HS.
28.  Conor Uselton, OF, HS.
29.  Garrett Mitchell, OF, HS.
30.  Keston Hiura, 2B, College(UC Irvine).
31.  Pavin Smith, 1B, College(Virginia).
32.  Jake Burger, 3B, College(Missouri St).
33.  Cole Brannen, OF, HS.
34.  Colton Hock, RHP, College(Stanford).
35.  Alex Lange, RHP, College(LSU).
36. Griffin Canning, RHP, College(UCLA).
37.  Brian Miller, OF, College(North Carolina).
38.  Quentin Holmes, OF, HS.
39.  Nick Allen, SS, HS.
40.  Blayne Enlow, RHP, HS.
41.  Hagen Danner, RHP, HS.
42.  Alejandro Toral, 1B, HS.
43.  Nick Pratto, LHP/1B, HS.
44.  Corbin Martin RHP, College(Texas A&M.
45.  Tanner Houck, RHP, College(Missouri).
46.  Evan Skoug, C, College(TCU).
47.  Michael Gigliotti, OF, College(Lipscomb).
48.  JJ Schwarz, C, College(Florida).

Comments:

Clarke Schmidt, RHP, College(South Carolina) drops off the list after tearing his UCL.

The more I think about it, the more I think an AL team could decide to develop McKay as both a hitter and pitchers utilizing the DH.

I looked up Jeren Kendall's stats and that K/BB is just ugly.  A .303 BA is not too impressive for a college hitter either.  I am not sure he should even be ranked in the first round, let along top 10.  I'll have to give that more thought.

All of the top 10's have their warts.  Since this is my board and not necessarily where I think they will be drafted, I am tempted to move Hasely up to #1.  He just seems like a carbon copy of Andrew Benintendi and I don't see anyone else in this draft with his combination of ceiling and safety.

If I was ranking by ceiling alone, Jordan Adell would be #1.  The track record of athletic HS OF's hitting in the pros is daunting, though.