Kort Peterson
| AB | 911 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .26 |
| OBP | .326 |
| SLG | .426 |
| HR | 25 |
- Full name Kort Henry Peterson
- Born 04/29/1994 in Santa Cruz, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School UCLA
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Drafted in the 23rd round (703rd overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2016.
View Draft Report
Peterson looks the part of a power corner bat at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds. The NorCal prep product doesn't control the strike zone enough to get to his power, though, with just 12 extra-base hits in 2015, a .186 batting over 43 at-bats in the Cape Cod League and 15 extra-base hits--including his first three homers--as a junior. Peterson has plus raw tools, including raw power and athleticism, but his feel for hitting lags behind.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Track Record: While Peterson's performance in college and in summer wood bat leagues didn't stand out, his raw tools got him drafted out of UCLA in the 23rd round in 2016. At 24 years old, it might be easy to dismiss Peterson as too old to be regarded as a prospect. But he's performed well at every level. He made it to Double-A Arkansas midway through 2018 after starting the year with high Class A Wilmington, recording career bests in home runs (15), RBIs (60) and stolen bases (11).
Scouting Report: Peterson is lauded for his plus makeup as well as being a student of the game and level-headed. He has good feel for the barrel and a nice, smooth swing that is quiet at the plate. His raw power grades as plus-plus, and while he combined to hit 15 home runs in 112 games at two levels in 2018, there should be more in-game power coming. There's still too much swing and miss in his game. Peterson steals bases more on instincts than with his average speed, and he was successful on 11 of 15 attempts in 2018. He's played mostly right field in his pro career. His slightly above-average arm is enough for the position and it plays up because he knows when to go after runners and throw behind them.
The Future: Peterson is slated to go back to Double-A in 2019. He could be a backup outfielder.
Draft Prospects
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Peterson looks the part of a power corner bat at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds. The NorCal prep product doesn't control the strike zone enough to get to his power, though, with just 12 extra-base hits in 2015, a .186 batting over 43 at-bats in the Cape Cod League and 15 extra-base hits--including his first three homers--as a junior. Peterson has plus raw tools, including raw power and athleticism, but his feel for hitting lags behind.
