Peyton Graham

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #25 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Graham was a star at Oklahoma and helped carry the Sooners to Omaha as a power-hitting, smooth-fielding shortstop. The Tigers’ selected him with the 51st overall pick in 2022, but so far his pro career has been a struggle. While most college stars jump to High-A in their first full season, Graham was sent back to Low-A Lakeland. He got off to an awful start but finally started hitting in June, just in time to go on the injured list for almost the entire second half of the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Graham’s future potential depends on him figuring out how to put on some good weight and maintain his strength. He’s quite skinny, and wore down in the Florida heat. None of his various soft tissue injuries was particularly severe, but they cost him half a season. Graham has the range, hands and arm to play shortstop when he’s at full strength and he should be an above-average defender at second or third, but some scouts wonder if he could be an even better center fielder with his above-average speed and long strides. He’s one of the Tigers’ better athletes. Graham’s power seems limited to the pull side with a wood bat, but that’s partly because he’s not strong enough yet. He’s an excellent baserunner and basestealer.
  
  The Future: Graham has been working with a nutritionist to try to ensure he’s ready for an important 2024 season. He’s likely to move up to High-A West Michigan, where he will need to find more of the form that made him a star in college.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 35 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #6 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: A lanky righthanded hitter with a long track record of hitting at a high level with Oklahoma, Graham showed improved in-game power in 2022 and hit a career-high 20 home runs while slashing .335/.417/.640. The Tigers liked what they saw and signed Graham for $1.8 million in the second round. He hit .270/.345/.370 in 27 games for Low-A Lakeland in his pro debut and went 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts.
  
  Scouting Report: Graham is an ultra-lean infielder listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, and perhaps the biggest question he faces in pro ball is how his 20-homer season translates. His average exit velocities were modest in his 2022 pro debut, but his top-end numbers were encouraging. Graham has shown an ability to drive the ball to his pull side with bat speed and leverage. There are some swing-and-miss tendencies with Graham, and he'll expand the zone more often than he should, with a leg kick and long levers that could be detrimental to his pure bat-to-ball ability. He struck out at a near 26% rate in Low-A, where he was age-appropriate. Graham transitioned from third base to shortstop in college and played all over the infield in his pro debut. He has solid athleticism, a good first step and above-average arm strength that could allow him to stick at shortstop, depending on how his body develops. Graham is an above-average runner with excellent baserunning instincts. He stole 34 bags in 36 tries with Oklahoma during the spring.
  
  The Future: If Graham can improve his swing decisions and cut down his swing-and-miss, he provides a well-rounded tool set with interesting defensive versatility. Whether he adds more strength and power could play a key role in his ultimate upside.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Speed: 55. Fielding: 55. Arm: 55 BA Grade: 50

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #32 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Oklahoma Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21.5
  BA Grade: 50/High
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55
  Listed at 6-foot-4, 171-pounds, Graham is a lanky righthanded hitter who has done nothing but hit since he stepped foot on campus. With Graham’s steady offensive improvement that has taken place every year, his draft eligible campaign falls nothing short of excellent. Through 59 games prior to super regionals, Graham slashed .339/.420/.661 with 19 home runs, 14 doubles and 32 stolen bases. He is a bit of a free swinger, and will expand the zone at times with a strikeout rate around 20% for his career. With more of an upright stance, Graham relies on a leg kick as a timing mechanism before settling into his power position. With a loose, quick set of hands, the barrel fires through the zone with bat speed and leverage producing exit velocities up to 108 mph. Though most of his action is to the pull side, Graham has demonstrated straight away loft power as well. Contributing on the left side of the dirt in his time with the Sooners, Graham made the transition from third base to shortstop this spring. Evaluators like his athleticism and range accompanied by above average arm strength. He does have a quick first step and the instincts off the barrel needed to stick at the position, and there’s no glaring reason why he couldn’t stick at the position long term, with plenty of defensive versatility if he needs to move. Graham is an above-average runner who’s been an efficient base stealer this spring. The biggest question in his profile revolves around his body, as he’s ultra lean now and has been throughout his time at Oklahoma.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: A lanky righthanded hitter with a long track record of hitting at a high level with Oklahoma, Graham showed improved in-game power in 2022 and hit a career-high 20 home runs while slashing .335/.417/.640. The Tigers liked what they saw and signed Graham for $1.8 million in the second round. He hit .270/.345/.370 in 27 games for Low-A Lakeland in his pro debut and went 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts.
  
  Scouting Report: Graham is an ultra-lean infielder listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, and perhaps the biggest question he faces in pro ball is how his 20-homer season translates. His average exit velocities were modest in his 2022 pro debut, but his top-end numbers were encouraging. Graham has shown an ability to drive the ball to his pull side with bat speed and leverage. There are some swing-and-miss tendencies with Graham, and he'll expand the zone more often than he should, with a leg kick and long levers that could be detrimental to his pure bat-to-ball ability. He struck out at a near 26% rate in Low-A, where he was age-appropriate. Graham transitioned from third base to shortstop in college and played all over the infield in his pro debut. He has solid athleticism, a good first step and above-average arm strength that could allow him to stick at shortstop, depending on how his body develops. Graham is an above-average runner with excellent baserunning instincts. He stole 34 bags in 36 tries with Oklahoma during the spring.
  
  The Future: If Graham can improve his swing decisions and cut down his swing-and-miss, he provides a well-rounded tool set with interesting defensive versatility. Whether he adds more strength and power could play a key role in his ultimate upside.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Speed: 55. Fielding: 55. Arm: 55 BA Grade: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: A lanky righthanded hitter with a long track record of hitting at a high level with Oklahoma, Graham showed improved in-game power in 2022 and hit a career-high 20 home runs while slashing .335/.417/.640. The Tigers liked what they saw and signed Graham for $1.8 million in the second round. He hit .270/.345/.370 in 27 games for Low-A Lakeland in his pro debut and went 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts.
  
  Scouting Report: Graham is an ultra-lean infielder listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, and perhaps the biggest question he faces in pro ball is how his 20-homer season translates. His average exit velocities were modest in his 2022 pro debut, but his top-end numbers were encouraging. Graham has shown an ability to drive the ball to his pull side with bat speed and leverage. There are some swing-and-miss tendencies with Graham, and he'll expand the zone more often than he should, with a leg kick and long levers that could be detrimental to his pure bat-to-ball ability. He struck out at a near 26% rate in Low-A, where he was age-appropriate. Graham transitioned from third base to shortstop in college and played all over the infield in his pro debut. He has solid athleticism, a good first step and above-average arm strength that could allow him to stick at shortstop, depending on how his body develops. Graham is an above-average runner with excellent baserunning instincts. He stole 34 bags in 36 tries with Oklahoma during the spring.
  
  The Future: If Graham can improve his swing decisions and cut down his swing-and-miss, he provides a well-rounded tool set with interesting defensive versatility. Whether he adds more strength and power could play a key role in his ultimate upside.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Speed: 55. Fielding: 55. Arm: 55 BA Grade: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  August Update: Listed at 6-foot-4, 171-pounds, Graham is a lanky righthanded hitter who has done nothing but hit since he stepped foot on campus. With Graham&#39s steady offensive improvement that has taken place every year, his draft eligible campaign falls nothing short of excellent. Through 59 games prior to super regionals, Graham slashed .339/.420/.661 with 19 home runs, 14 doubles and 32 stolen bases. He is a bit of a free swinger, and will expand the zone at times with a strikeout rate around 20% for his career. With more of an upright stance, Graham relies on a leg kick as a timing mechanism before settling into his power position. With a loose, quick set of hands, the barrel fires through the zone with bat speed and leverage producing exit velocities up to 108 mph. Though most of his action is to the pull side, Graham has demonstrated straight away loft power as well. Contributing on the left side of the dirt in his time with the Sooners, Graham made the transition from third base to shortstop this spring. Evaluators like his athleticism and range accompanied by above average arm strength. He does have a quick first step and the instincts off the barrel needed to stick at the position, and there&#39s no glaring reason why he couldn&#39t stick at the position long term, with plenty of defensive versatility if he needs to move. Graham is an above-average runner who&#39s been an efficient base stealer this spring. The biggest question in his profile revolves around his body, as he&#39s ultra lean now and has been throughout his time at Oklahoma.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 55. Run: 55. Field: 55. Arm: 55.