The Rangers have officially signed DJ Peters to a contract in the minor leagues, according to a report by Dave Coggin, a former professional baseball player and current pitching consultant (X link). Peters, who began his career as an outfielder, is now embarking on a new chapter as a pitcher. This transition began when he pitched 21 2/3 innings for the Tigers’ Florida Complex League team last season.
In 2021, Peters played in a total of 70 games for both the Dodgers and the Rangers, marking his only experience in Major League Baseball thus far. During this time, he had a batting average of .197, an on-base percentage of .242, and a slugging percentage of .422. He hit 13 home runs but also struck out 82 times in his 240 plate appearances. Throughout his career, Peters has struggled with making consistent contact with the ball. While his power potential caught attention during his time in the Los Angeles farm system, opposing pitchers increasingly found weaknesses in his swing. The cancellation of the 2020 minor league season also had a significant impact on Peters’ performance, as his numbers declined significantly after that year.
During the 2022 season, Peters primarily played in South Korea for the Lotte Giants in the KBO League. However, he later joined the Nationals on a minor league contract towards the end of the year. In 2023, Peters continued his career in the Detroit organization on another minor league deal. Aside from his 17 appearances as a pitcher in the FCL, he did not participate in any other game action. During these appearances, he struggled with a 6.23 ERA and had more walks (27) than strikeouts (24).
It is evident that Peters’ transition to pitching is still a work in progress. According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, Peters’ contract with the Rangers does not include an invitation to the team’s major league spring camp. However, he will have the opportunity to work with familiar individuals within the organization as he continues to develop his skills on the mound and learn how to effectively utilize his pitching abilities. As noted by Coggin on his X feed, Peters’ fastball consistently reaches speeds of 95mph, and he possesses a slider with significant break.