Dustin Allen Peterson (born September 10, 1994) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...
in the
Philadelphia Phillies organization. He has played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
and
Detroit Tigers.
Career
Peterson attended
Gilbert High School in
Gilbert, Arizona.
[ He played for the school's baseball team as a ]shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
.[ As a senior, Peterson had a .540 ]batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
and hit 10 home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s with 39 runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
(RBIs).[ Peterson committed to attend Arizona State University on a ]college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
scholarship to play for the Arizona State Sun Devils
The Arizona State Sun Devils are the athletic teams that represent Arizona State University. ASU has nine men's and eleven women's varsity teams competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member ...
.
San Diego Padres
'' Baseball America'' ranked Peterson as the 44th best available prospect in the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Each team received one selection per round, going in ...
. The San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
selected Peterson in the second round, with the 50th overall selection, of the draft. Peterson signed with the Padres, rather than attend college. The Padres converted Peterson into a third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
.[ He made his professional debut with the Arizona Padres of the Rookie-level ]Arizona League
The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it ...
after he signed, and he batted .293 in 38 games.[ In 2014, Peterson played for the ]Fort Wayne TinCaps
The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and play their home games at Parkview Field. They won their lone Midwest Le ...
of the Class A Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
,[ where he batted .233 with ten home runs and 79 RBIs.
]
Atlanta Braves
On December 19, 2014, the Padres traded Peterson, Max Fried
Max Dorian Fried ( ; born January 18, 1994), nicknamed "Maximus", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Drafted in 2012 by the San Diego Padres in the first round, seventh overall, F ...
, Jace Peterson
Jace Ryan Peterson (born May 9, 1990) is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Balti ...
, and Mallex Smith to the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
in exchange for Justin Upton
Justin Irvin Upton (born August 25, 1987) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. Nicknamed "J-Up", he has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tig ...
and Aaron Northcraft. Following the trade, Peterson began to see playing time in the outfield. Peterson spent 2015 with the Carolina Mudcats
The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, and play their home games at Five County Stadium. ...
of the Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
, where he posted a .251 batting average with 8 home runs and 62 RBIs. In 2016, Peterson played for the Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. ...
of the Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Southern League, where he batted .282 with 12 home runs and 88 RBIs. After the 2016 season, the Braves assigned Peterson to the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...
. In 2017, Peterson played for the Gwinnett Braves
The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...
of the Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
International League, where he batted .248 with one home run and 30 RBIs in 87 games.
On May 28, 2018, Peterson's contract was selected by the Braves to replace Ronald Acuña Jr.
Ronald José Acuña Blanco Jr. (born December 18, 1997) is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). After signing with the Braves as an international free agent in 2014, Acuña made hi ...
while on the disabled list. The Braves designated Peterson for assignment on September 2, to promote Preston Tucker
Preston Thomas Tucker (21 September 1903 – 26 December 1956) was an American automobile entrepreneur.
He is most remembered for his Tucker 48 sedan, initially nicknamed the "Tucker Torpedo", an automobile which introduced many features ...
.
Detroit Tigers
On September 6, 2018, the Detroit Tigers claimed Peterson off of waivers. Peterson was immediately optioned to the Tigers' minor league affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...
.
He hit .227 in the final month of the 2019 season. Peterson was outrighted off the Tigers roster on October 23, 2019. He became a minor league free agent on November 7, 2019.
Los Angeles Angels
On March 9, 2020, Peterson signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
organization. He was released by the team on May 29.
Sugar Land Skeeters
In July 2020, Peterson signed on to play for the Sugar Land Skeeters
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metr ...
of the Constellation Energy League
The Constellation Energy League was an independent baseball league that operated in Texas during 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions limiting travel, and as a way to create opportunities for minor league players.
History
The league consisted of ...
—a makeshift four-team independent league created as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
—for the 2020 season. He recorded a .309/.400/.500 slash line
S sabermetrics
:Sabermetrics is the analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics. The term is derived from the SABR – the Society for American Baseball Research. The term was coined by Bill James, an ...
and was named team MVP.
Milwaukee Brewers
On December 15, 2020, Peterson signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He spent the 2021 season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, playing in 77 games and hitting .272/.347/.416 with 9 home runs and 56 RBI. He began the 2022 season with Nashville, going 1-for-11 with four walks in three games for the team.
Philadelphia Phillies
On April 19, 2022, Peterson was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for cash considerations. Peterson was then assigned to the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in the ...
. In 102 games with the IronPigs, Peterson batted .244/.318/.379 with 9 home runs, 47 RBI, and 6 stolen bases. He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.
On January 25, 2023, Peterson re-signed with the Phillies organization on a minor league contract.[https://www.milb.com/player/dustin-peterson-640460]
Personal life
Peterson's older brother, D. J., is also a professional baseball player, currently with the Lexington Legends
The Lexington Legends are an American professional baseball team based in Lexington, Kentucky. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Legends ha ...
of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Dustin
Living people
1994 births
People from Gilbert, Arizona
Sportspeople from the Phoenix metropolitan area
Baseball players from Arizona
Major League Baseball outfielders
Atlanta Braves players
Arizona League Padres players
Fort Wayne TinCaps players
Carolina Mudcats players
Detroit Tigers players
Mississippi Braves players
Salt River Rafters players
Gwinnett Braves players
Gwinnett Stripers players
Toledo Mud Hens players
Sugar Land Skeeters players
Nashville Sounds players
Lehigh Valley IronPigs players