Braves infielder Jace Peterson has quietly had a very productive spring, and may be in line to earn the starting second base job out of Spring Training. The 24-year old was acquired from the Padres in the Justin Upton trade in December, and could be a steal for Atlanta moving forward.
Since the team is in an obvious rebuild, I’m sure they would love to start the season with a young player like Peterson in the starting lineup. Second base has been a tough position for them in recent years, having to live through Dan Uggla‘s struggles. Tommy La Stella looked serviceable in the second half of the season, but he was shipped to Chicago in November. The Braves also signed veteran infielder Alberto Callaspo, who seems to be the safest bet to be the team’s second base starter to begin the season.
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Peterson has never really been a top-flight prospect, but he has quietly been very productive in the Minor Leagues, leading to his call-up to San Diego at the end of 2014. In 86 Minor League games in 2014, spent mostly in Triple-A, he hit for a very impressive .307/.402/.447. Power is not a big part of his game, as he has just 14 career homers in the Minor Leagues. In the lower Minors, he was a real speed threat, stealing 39, 51, and 42 bases from 2011-2013. For whatever reason, he was only able to swipe 18 bases in 2014, getting caught 9 times. As he gets regular at bats, it’s feasible to expect him to steal 25+ bags a year. One of the more impressive things with Peterson’s game is his high walk/low strikeout numbers. The left handed hitter gets on base at a very high rate, which could lead to him being a leadoff or two-hole hitter in the future.
Adding to his solid contact game is his plus defense at second base. The 6 foot, 210 pounder had enough athleticism and arm strength to play shortstop in the Minor Leagues, so his defense gets a boost moving over to second. The former McNeese State product has the chance to be a very solid pro, with the only thing lacking from his game is home run power. He did struggle in his call-up to San Diego, going just 6-for-53, with 18 strikeouts. Given a chance to get comfortable over the course of a season should help him progress moving forward.
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Peterson has put up some solid numbers this Spring as well, going 13 for 37 (.351) with 6 walks (.442 OBP), while adding two steals. He does have 11 strikeouts, which is a much higher rate than he struck out in the Minors. I think that if he continues to hit well as Spring Training winds down, the Braves won’t hesitate to add him to their 25-man roster. Callaspo has struggled this Spring, so Peterson may even be able to get the Opening Day nod at second. Kelly Johnson should also push for playing time as well. Seeing as this is a rebuilding year, getting a young player a full seasons worth of playing time will do a lot for the future of the team. He’ll be worth watching over the last couple weeks of the Spring and into the beginning of the season.