Jake Peavy

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #3 prospect in 2002
  Peavy was running neck and neck with Gerik Baxter and Mike Bynum as the best prospect from San Diego's 1999 draft class, but last year Baxter was killed in an auto accident and Bynum regressed. The only minor league starter who topped Peavy's 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings last year was Minor League Player of the Year Josh Beckett. One veteran Padres scout says Peavy is the closest thing to Greg Maddux he has seen, and Double-A Southern League managers seconded that comparison. Peavy puts the ball wherever he wants, whenever he wants. He uses a lively low-90s fastball, a slider and a changeup. Peavy sometimes falls into a finesse mode but has enough on his fastball to beat hitters with it. He began to understand this last year. Of his three pitches, his slider needs the most work. Peavy has a chance to be the rare high school player who makes the major leagues before he has to be added to the 40-man roster. He'll probably open 2002 in Triple- A and could reach Qualcomm Stadium by the end of the year.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #2 prospect in 2001
  The Padres spent four first-round picks on pitchers in 1999, but 15th-rounder Peavy has their best pitcher from that draft so far. He lasted that long because he was considered frail, wild and committed to an Auburn scholarship. He won the Rookie-level Arizona League's pitching triple crown in his pro debut, and had another strong season in 2000 despite missing two weeks with viral meningitis in April. Peavy used a fastball that reaches the mid-90s, good slider and nice changeup to tie for the Class A Midwest League lead in strikeouts last season. He makes it tougher for hitters by varying his arm angle and pitching down in the strike zone. His control has been better than expected as a pro. He has allowed just 10 homers in 208 innings and hasn't had any trouble with lefthanders. To this point, he hasn't shown a significant weakness. Like all young pitchers, he can refine his command and the consistency of his pitches. Peavy's pure stuff isn't as good as that of Wascar Serrano, Gerik Baxter and Mark Phillips. It's his pitching savvy that elevates him ahead of them on this list, and it will be interesting to see if it can keep him there. Peavy will move up to high Class A Lake Elsinore in 2001 and could reach Double-A late in the season.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Southern League #1 prospect in 2002
  Peavy was the only Southern Leaguer with his face on a soft-drink can. A Mobile native and an offseason employee of the BayBears, Peavy's photo and signature graced some 228,000 Pepsi and Mountain Dew cans in the Mobile area. But Peavy's stuff is even more marketable than his image--as witnessed by a late-June promotion to San Diego. He has a glove-popping fastball that can touch the mid-90s, and enough finesse to put all of his pitches wherever he wants. He also throws a curveball, slider and changeup, which have their moments. He certainly wasn't intimidated by facing big league hitters at age 21. Peavy went 6-7, 4.50 with 85 strikeouts in 92 innings over his first 16 Padres starts. He held the Yankees to one run in six innings in his debut.
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  Ranked California League #5 prospect in 2001
  With Tankersley's outstanding performance and Ben Howard's and Eric Cyr's emergence, Peavy was sometimes a forgotten man. He failed to make either the midseason or postseason Cal League all-star team, but there's no overlooking him in the future of the Padres rotation. Peavy shined in both the Cal League and the Double-A Southern League before returning to the Storm for the playoffs. He has three solid pitches (low-90s fastball, slider, changeup) that he used to rack up a 188-45 strikeout walk ratio in 133 combined innings in 2001. He was even better in Double-A, where he rejoined his wife and newborn baby in his hometown of Mobile, then fanned 11 in each of his final three starts.
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  Ranked Midwest League #7 prospect in 2000
  The Padres had six first-round picks in 1999 and spent four of them on pitchers to restock their system. They also scored in the 15th round with Peavy, who has gone 22-9, 2.23 in his first 1 1/2 years as a pro. He tied for the MWL lead in strikeouts and was the ace of the league’s most overpowering pitching staff. "He’s outstanding," Cedar Rapids manager Tyrone Boykin said. "He has a fastball in the mid-90s to go with a good breaking ball. He just dominated us." Peavy’s changeup is a nice third pitch behind his fastball and slider. It’s hard to get a good swing off of him because he varies his arm angle and keeps his pitches down in the strike zone.
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  Ranked Arizona Complex League #7 prospect in 1999
  Peavy was only a 15th-round draft choice but to AZL hitters he pitched like a premium pick. He won the league's pitching triple crown. Peavy throws his fastball 87-91 mph with plus movement and complements it with a hard curveball and a straight change. "He just dominated everyone," Kuehl said.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #28 prospect in 2002
• Ranked Baseball America's #40 prospect in 2001

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  The Padres had six first-round picks in 1999 and spent four of them on pitchers to restock their system. They also scored in the 15th round with Peavy, who has gone 22-9, 2.23 in his first 1 1/2 years as a pro. He tied for the MWL lead in strikeouts and was the ace of the league’s most overpowering pitching staff. "He’s outstanding," Cedar Rapids manager Tyrone Boykin said. "He has a fastball in the mid-90s to go with a good breaking ball. He just dominated us." Peavy’s changeup is a nice third pitch behind his fastball and slider. It’s hard to get a good swing off of him because he varies his arm angle and keeps his pitches down in the strike zone.