2022 MLB Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 1-10

[Jenkins5]

Found some info on 8th Round pick with some videos. Here

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Nate Peterson, LHP, Illinois-Chicago

A native of Minnesota who started his college career at Oklahoma State, Peterson has really settled nicely into the ace role for UIC and pitched well in my look against Valparaiso. He's a strongly-built 5-foot-10, 180 pounds with good strength throughout, though he's likely near physical max and does not project very much physically. He punched out 11 in 5 2/3 in this look, allowing 8 hits and 3 walks while limiting the damage to just a single run. On the season, Peterson has punched out 43 in 37 innings with just 8 walks, but has allowed 38 hits and has a 4.14 ERA. 

Peterson has a full four-pitch mix with the ability to hammer the strike zone, though the commanded quality of those strikes can often lead to pitches over the heart of the plate/being too hittable. His fastball worked 90-92 mph in the freezing cold in my look and he has been a touch higher than that at points this season. The pitch has really good fastball quality when commanded, with good carry out of a lower release height high three-quarter slot, hiding the ball well and showing some feel for moving it around the zone. It's a pitch capable of getting lots of whiff up in the zone when commanded there.

His changeup is his best pitch, thrown in the low-80s and turned over well with late tumble and excellent tunnel out of the hand. It's a weapon vs. right-handed hitters especially, and he threw some that made me believe it has a plus future. His slider is thrown more consistently to left-handers, in the low-80s with average tilt and some sweep. He likes to start at-bats versus lefties off with the slider, sometimes doubling up on it, as it's a pitch that can steal strikes for him. He showed some feel for diving it out of the zone to get whiffs at times. He mixes in more of a curveball look in the upper-70s, with 1/7 shape and some depth, though that pitch is more of a show-me offering at this time.

The operation is clean and the body is close to maxed, so it's harder to project improvements in command here, but at his best Peterson fills the strike zone with a couple solid-average pitches and a potentially plus changeup, giving him the makings of a solid mid-Day 2 type of draft choice this summer.