Dustin Peterson Stats & Scouting Report

AB	88
AVG	.17
OBP	.26
SLG	.261
HR	1

Full name Dustin Allen Peterson
Born 09/10/1994 in Phoenix, AZ
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Gilbert
Debut 05/28/2018
Drafted in the 2nd round (50th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2013 (signed for $1,400,000).

View Draft Report

Dustin is the younger brother of New Mexico third baseman D.J. Peterson, which has helped boost his draft stock this spring. With D.J. playing so well in college, some scouts feel like they missed him in high school and have scouted Dustin heavily as a result. He played well in March in front of many high-profile executives in Arizona for spring training, which stuffed him further up draft boards. Dustin is more advanced than D.J. was at the same age. He has lightning quick hands and shows a sweet swing with the ability to create loft and backspin. He projects to hit for solid average and above-average power to all fields. Where he winds up defensively is a bigger question mark. He plays shortstop for his high school team, but he'll have to move at the next level. Already 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Peterson is a fringy runner. Scouts who like him think he'll be able to handle third base, but he'll need to strengthen his below-average arm. Left field is also a possibility. Peterson is committed to Arizona State, but will likely be picked highly enough to head straight to the pro ranks.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The younger brother of Mariners' 2013 first-round pick D.J. Peterson, Dustin was helped by D.J.'s well-timed college breakout season and went 31 rounds earlier than his brother did coming out of high school. The Padres drafted him but traded him to the Braves after the 2014 season in the Justin Upton deal. Peterson's value, much like his brother's, is tied to his bat. A high school shortstop who immediately moved to third base as a pro, Peterson was quickly booted to left field, where he's perfectly adequate. He's a fringe-average runner with an average arm. If Peterson is going to be a big leaguer, it's going to be because he has above-average bat speed and above-average power. But a hamate injury cost him a month of the 2017 season and seemed to sap his power afterward. Peterson's modest power surge in 2016 seemed to show he was making progress toward being an above-average hitter with the above-average power he needs to be an everyday big leaguer. Now he has to prove that his 2017 power outage was injury-related. The Braves left Peterson off the 40-man roster in 2017, making him Rule 5 eligible, and he was not picked. As a righthanded-hitting corner outfielder, he doesn't really fit as a backup. He's more of an up-and-down fill-in or a regular, with few in-between options.
Part of the Braves' prospect haul from the Padres in the Justin Upton deal following the 2014 season, Peterson had his best season at Double-A Mississippi in 2016. He led the Southern League with 38 doubles, ranked second in RBIs (88) and third in hits (148). He homered twice in a June series against his brother D.J., a Mariners prospect and 2013 first-round pick. Peterson is an offense-first player with above-average bat speed and the ability to generate backspin with his quick hands and whip-like swing. He has an advanced approach at the plate but tends to accumulate strikeouts due to his tendency to swing and miss. The former third baseman continued to become more comfortable in left field and even saw some time in center in 2016. His glovework, which is fringe-average with his average speed and improving routes, likely limits him to left at higher levels. Peterson has the ability to be a steady contributor but projects as more of a complementary piece at the major league level rather than as a star. He's set for Triple-A Gwinnett in 2017.
Change has been the lone constant for Peterson since the Padres made him a second-round pick in 2013. A shortstop in high school, he shifted to third base in pro ball and played the position at low Class A Fort Wayne in 2014 before being traded to the Braves as part of the Justin Upton deal prior to the 2015 season. Moved to left field by the Braves, Peterson opened 2015 by hitting .314/.392/.448 at high Class A Carolina before being injured in the team's bus wreck in May and missing three weeks. Still just 21, Peterson has quick hands and a whip-like swing that produces outstanding backspin when he barrels the ball. He has an advanced knowledge of the strike zone and works the count well, but he tends to swing and miss too often. After struggling defensively at the hot corner, Peterson made a solid transition to left field. He has an average arm and his fringe-average speed is not a liability. The Braves not only believe he will develop impact power at higher levels but that he will prove to be a better player than older brother D.J., a Mariners first-rounder in 2013. Though a return to the Carolina League to in 2016 would not be surprising, Peterson should reach Double-A Mississippi at some point during the campaign.
Peterson, the younger brother of Mariners prospect D.J., led all low Class A Midwest League third basemen with 38 errors in 2014, while at the plate his production fell off a cliff after a hot start. He whips the bat through the zone with quick hands and regularly imparts backspin on the ball, which gives him above-average raw power. However, Peterson's over-aggressive approach leads to a lot of weak contact, and he hit just .199 in 61 second-half games in 2014. Scouts don't like his tentative actions or scattershot arm at third base and view him as a corner outfielder. He's a below-average runner, so Peterson's future value depends on how often he gets to his power. He would benefit from another run at low Class A in 2015.
Not wanting to miss the boat on another Peterson brother, area scouts zeroed in on Dustin at Gilbert High in 2013 after letting big brother D.J. slip to the 33rd round three years earlier. While D.J. blossomed at New Mexico and eventually went 12th overall to the Mariners in 2013, Dustin slipped to the second round (50th overall) of the same draft and pulled down $1.4 million from the Padres to forgo a commitment Arizona State. San Diego regarded Peterson as one of the best bats in the draft thanks to his quick hips, natural rhythm and electric bat speed. He creates enough loft and backspin to hit for average power one day while also hitting for a high average because he uses the whole ballpark. A prep shortstop and an average runner, Peterson shifted to third base in the Rookie-level Arizona League, but many scouts don't view him as a fit for the left side of the infield because of an unconventional throwing motion and fringy arm. Opinion on future position varies from second base to first base to left field. Peterson will head to low Class A Fort Wayne in 2014.

Draft Prospects

Dustin is the younger brother of New Mexico third baseman D.J. Peterson, which has helped boost his draft stock this spring. With D.J. playing so well in college, some scouts feel like they missed him in high school and have scouted Dustin heavily as a result. He played well in March in front of many high-profile executives in Arizona for spring training, which stuffed him further up draft boards. Dustin is more advanced than D.J. was at the same age. He has lightning quick hands and shows a sweet swing with the ability to create loft and backspin. He projects to hit for solid average and above-average power to all fields. Where he winds up defensively is a bigger question mark. He plays shortstop for his high school team, but he'll have to move at the next level. Already 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Peterson is a fringy runner. Scouts who like him think he'll be able to handle third base, but he'll need to strengthen his below-average arm. Left field is also a possibility. Peterson is committed to Arizona State, but will likely be picked highly enough to head straight to the pro ranks.

Minor League Top Prospects

The Braves acquired Peterson along with three other prospects from the Padres in the Justin Upton trade following the 2014 season. San Diego had selected Peterson, who is the younger brother of Mariners prospect D.J. Peterson, in the second round of the 2013 draft as a third baseman, but Atlanta promptly shifted the error-prone infielder to left field. Peterson led the SL with 38 doubles while ranking second with 88 RBIs and fourth with a .431 slugging percentage. League managers see the righthanded batter as having the bat speed and plate approach to become at least an average hitter with above-average power. He probably fits more as a lineup contributor rather than a focal point unless he can shorten his swing to combat elite velocity. Peterson tried center field briefly this season but is a below-average runner who fits in left field with near-average range and an average, accurate arm.
The brother of Mariners prospect D.J. Peterson and part of the Braves' return when they sent Justin Upton to the Padres, Peterson had a rough year at Carolina. He was hurt in the early-season bus crash that jumbled the Mudcats' roster, and he missed a little more than two weeks recovering. A third baseman early in his career, Peterson shifted to left field for the first time this season and drew positive reviews for his athleticism and average speed underway. Peterson's value, however, lies with his bat. Though the numbers weren't pretty, scouts see enough strength, bat speed and thus power potential to project his floor as a bat-first fourth outfielder. He started hot--he hit .311/.381/.466 through his first 45 games--before cooling in the second half.
Peterson was the second member of his family to be drafted this year, with older brother D.J. being selected 12th overall by the Mariners. The Padres signed the younger Peterson away from an Arizona State commitment with a $1.4 million bonus. A shortstop in high school, Peterson moved to the hot corner for his first pro season. Scouts question whether he will develop the power to handle third base, though he should be able to add strength and size to his lanky, projectable body. He has a below-average arm, which may force an eventual move to second. The bat will play there, as Peterson has good bat speed and a good feel for hitting. He?s an average runner, with times of 4.3 seconds down the line. ?He?ll continue to mature, and mature quickly, with game experience,? Padres manager Michael Collins said. ?He receives information fairly well and he applies it quickly.?

Career Transactions

Sultanes de Monterrey activated RF Dustin Peterson.
Altoona Curve released LF Dustin Peterson.
LF Dustin Peterson assigned to Altoona Curve from Indianapolis Indians.
Indianapolis Indians activated LF Dustin Peterson.
Indianapolis Indians transferred LF Dustin Peterson to the Development List.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs activated LF Dustin Peterson from the 7-day injured list.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs placed LF Dustin Peterson on the 7-day injured list retroactive to May 15, 2023.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs transferred LF Dustin Peterson to the Development List.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs activated LF Dustin Peterson.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs transferred LF Dustin Peterson to the Development List.
LF Dustin Peterson and assigned to Philadelphia Phillies.
LF Dustin Peterson assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent LF Dustin Peterson to a minor league contract.