DJ Peters

Early in his first tour of the Texas League, it looked like Peters was turning into one of the best power-hitting prospects in the minors. However, from May 15 on, he hit just .219 with a 36.5 K% -- troubling marks for a 22-year-old corner outfielder. He still got to his power (21 HR, .460 SLG) over that stretch (397 PA), but the concern is that he won't make enough contact to profile as more than a short-side platoon bat (.264/.359/.592 against LHP). Peters is a good athlete for his size (6-foot-6, 225 pounds), but does not look to put his average speed to work on the bases. The Dodgers still have a fairly crowded outfield situation even after their offseason moves, so Peters will likely spend all of 2019 in the upper levels of the minors, regardless of how well he is performing.

It's rare that a toolsy hitter can lead his league in OPS, ISO and wRC+ and still be undervalued, but that might be the case with Peters. The Dodgers aggressively sent Peters from rookie ball to the California League, skipping Low-A completely, and he proceeded to be the most productive offensive player in the league. However, his 32.2 percent strikeout rate will still scare some dynasty-league owners away. Context is very important here. This was a player making a big leap in competition, who produced despite all those whiffs. He also walked 10.9 percent of the time and is coming up in an era where three-true-outcomes hitters are more accepted than ever. Peters' huge raw power was on full display when he took a rehabbing Madison Bumgarner deep twice in the same game. He is a good athlete, but has not looked to run much in the minors. There are reasons to be concerned about his batting average against advanced pitching, but it's also possible he improves across the board with a more typical promotion schedule going forward.

Peters, a juco product, is a rare tooled-up outfielder who did not come from the high school ranks and did not come off the board on day one of the draft. This appears to have been a brilliant scouting find, as the Dodgers signed him for an under-slot $247,500 deal after selecting him with the 131st pick. He went on to show plus power and plus speed while leading the Pioneer League in OPS (1.052), total bases (161) and runs (63) in 302 plate appearances. A 6-foot-5, 210-pound outfielder, Peters draws physical comps to Jayson Werth, and his production could also mirror what Werth did with the Phillies, notching a couple 20/20 seasons while hitting in the .250-.275 range. After posting a .432 BABIP in his first taste of pro ball, it will be interesting to see what kind of batting averages Peters posts when his luck normalizes against full-season pitching. Based on the tools and early success, Peters should be treated like a top-25 prospect from the 2016 draft class.