Mariners News: D.J. Peterson Regains Top Prospect Status

After a horrendous 2015 season, D.J. Peterson has reemerged as one of the most exciting prospects in the Mariners’ system.

Few prospects in the Mariners’ system entered 2016 with more question marks than D.J. Peterson. The former first round pick struggled mightily last season, slashing .223/.288/.345 across 96 games with the Jackson Generals and Tacoma Rainiers. However, the adjustments Peterson made in the offseason have revitalized his status as a top prospect.

The 24-year-old is currently raking with the Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. Since being promoted to the Rainiers, Peterson is hitting .339 with 5 home runs and 19 RBI through 15 games. He has also posted a .400 on base percentage and slugged .678 across 65 at bats. Peterson has also played a solid first base, registering a 1.000 fielding percentage in 131 innings.

Peterson is riding a five-game hitting streak in Tacoma. During the past five games he is hitting .400 with a pair of dingers and 7 runs batted in. He is quickly establishing himself as one of the more formidable threats in the Rainiers’ starting nine.

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Prior to joining the Rainiers, Peterson was dominating with the Mariners class-AA affiliate in Jackson. He slashed .271/.340/.466 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI across 73 games with the Generals. Peterson also tallied 21 doubles and walked 27 times in 312 plate appearances.

All told, the University of New Mexico alum is hitting .283 with 24 doubles, 1 triple, 16 home runs and 62 RBI through 88 games this season. Peterson has also posted a .350 on base percentage and slugged .503 across 377 plate appearances.

There was a time when D.J. Peterson sat alone atop the list of the Mariners top prospects. However, he has slowly slid down the totem pole in recent years, and he is presently the M’s 6th best prospect according to MLB.com.

The Chandler, AZ product has the necessary talent to be a productive big leaguer, but baring an injury, it’s hard to envision Peterson playing at Safeco Field in the near future. Adam Lind has been more than a disappointment as the M’s left-handed hitting first baseman, but Dae-ho Lee has been a stud for Seattle this season from the right side. Lee is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the Emerald City, and he would seem to fill Peterson’s spot on the active roster.

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The apparent logjam at first base opens up a number of intriguing options for Jerry Dipoto. We are just under two weeks away from the trade deadline, and the Mariners are 46-46 and just 5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the second wildcard in the American League. The M’s travel to Toronto for a three-game set this weekend, and that series could dictate how Dipoto handles July 31.

If the Mariners can win some games this week and inch closer to the Blue Jays, Dipoto will likely be aggressive on deadline day. Seattle does not have a huge collection of blue chip prospects, but a big league ready bat like Peterson could net a decent return from a rebuilding club.

It’s hard to say what the future holds for D.J. Peterson and the Seattle Mariners, but he is a prospect worth keeping an eye on as we lead up to July 31.