Third baseman D.J. Peterson has gambled and won before. Drafted right out of Gilbert High School in Gilbert, Ariz. by the Seattle Mariners, he knew the time wasn’t right to turn pro. Three years later after his junior year at the University of New Mexico, that decision paid off, with the Mariners picking him in the first round with the No. 12 pick.
“I knew I needed to develop as a man in general,” Peterson said. “I wanted to go out and experience life on my own. Brushing up on my baseball tools and for me, it was about maturity. I needed to grow up.”
The lessons Peterson learned at UNM are coming into play this season with the Double-A Jackson Generals. The 23-year old is struggling at the plate for the first time as a professional baseball player, hitting just .210 coming into Friday night with 44 strikeouts.
It’s the first year of his life he’s ever batted below .293. Peterson, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the Mariners’ farm system, has taken it hard.
“It’s not about (expectations) from other people, but myself,” Peterson said. “This game is all about the expectations you have for yourself. I don’t care what others choose too think. I think I’m trying to do too much because I know what I can do, but the results aren’t showing that. I’m getting myself out a lot and I need to go back to having fun and being D.J.”
For stretches he’s been able to do that. In his last six games he’s hone hitless just twice, but in that same stretch he’s had just two multi-hit games. He’s cut his strikeout rate down, fanning just twice in those six contests.
“I need to keep my head on it, not chasing pitches,” Peterson said. “I need to stay inside the ball and help this team win. I’m not trusting myself and not trusting what I’ve done my whole life. I need to get back to that. Everything should be fine.”
Peterson has put it all together before. Last season in 58 games with the Generals Peterson batted .261 with 13 home runs, eight doubles and 38 RBIs and that was after 65 games with the High-A High Desert Mavericks where he jacked 18 bombs, 23 doubles and 73 RBIs for a .326 average. Last season was tremendous for Peterson. Now he’s struggling to find that magic again.
“I need to stay within myself and not try to do too much,” Peterson said. “I’m not focusing on the little things and getting out of my comfort zone. I’m not controlling the (strike) zone like I should. There are some cues there I need to continue to work on.”
Prospect watch
You won’t find Dario Pizzano on many preseason prospect lists, but the 24-year old from Boston, Mass. has been crushing the ball in for Jackson this season, batting .344 with an on-base-percentage of .400 coming into Friday. He’s struck out just 14 times in 154 at-bats with nine doubles, four triples, two home runs and 24 RBIs. Pizzano’s experience has been the opposite of Peterson’s. He struggled moving up to Double-A in 81 games last year, batting just .228. The difference for Pizzano was even then he was disciplined, striking out just 54 times all season, 10 more than Peterson has in just two months in 2015.
The pitching that Seattle has cycled through Jackson, Tenn. over the last few seasons isn’t there this year. Only one starter has an ERA under 4.61 and he’s also the only guy with a winning record. James Gilheeney is 3-1 with a 2.58 ERA but he’s mostly a middle reliever with just four starts this season. But it’s good news for the Mariners that he’s been solid in both jobs. Preseason No. 6 prospect Edwin Diaz is 0-3 since being called up to Jackson on May 13 with a 9.88 ERA.
