Shane Peterson = next Scotty Po?

[CheezWizHed]

I'm not sure of his defense in center, but Scott wasn't lauded for his defense either. And he doesn't have the steals, but otherwise he is a high draft pick that is blooming late.

 

Thoughts? Worth filling centerfield until Brett takes it?

[pacopete4]

I love the guy. Smacking the ball around and gives you quality at bats.

[wildcat2237]

Love the high average and love the high obp. Don't love the lack of power or speed.

 

There are few advantages to having a bad team, but giving guys like Peterson a chance is one of them.

[MrTPlush]

.437 BABIP....no that isn't a typo. His ceiling is probably an average 4th OFer.

[folly412]

Done quite well with a smidge over 100 ABs, given the lack of regularity. Let him roll the next couple months, let the potential studs outplay him over the next year or two to earn their spots. Not a bad piece to have.

[1992casey]

Shane's minor league OBP and SLG history are both better than Podsednik's. Interestingly, he's had high BABIPs throughout his career. On teams in which he has 200 or more plate appearances, he sports BABIPs of .398, .345, .330, .299, .380, 315, and .391.

 

I agree with the 4th outfielder ceiling. With his level of power, I think he'd ideally fit in as a very good 5th outfielder. He'd need more power to be considered a starter.

 

Here are his Fangraphs stats:

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=7423&position=OF

[SRB]

Podsednik without the steals? What's left?

[pogokat]

Podsednik without the steals? What's left?

 

Shane Peterson

[MNBrew]

If a guy can just plain hit well and play solid, smart defense in CF, and as long as he's not a tortoise (which Peterson is not), I couldn't care less about low HRs.

 

He's got a good OBP. He's having lots of good ABs including surprising success as a PH. That's just the sort of bat this largely all-or-nothing team has needed the past few years. So it seems really contradictory & screwy to hear complaints about the guy having little power.

 

Mark Loretta & Jeff Cirillo weren't flashy, just darn good. It's quite a ways off in terms of longevity, but if Shane Peterson amounts to anything close to what those guys did, that makes him a very respectable ballplayer!

[wildcat2237]

If a guy can just plain hit well and play solid, smart defense in CF, and as long as he's not a tortoise (which Peterson is not), I couldn't care less about low HRs.

 

He's got a good OBP. He's having lots of good ABs including surprising success as a PH. That's just the sort of bat this largely all-or-nothing team has needed the past few years. So it seems really contradictory & screwy to hear complaints about the guy having little power.

 

Mark Loretta & Jeff Cirillo weren't flashy, just darn good. It's quite a ways off in terms of longevity, but if Shane Peterson amounts to anything close to what those guys did, that makes him a very respectable ballplayer!

 

Disagree. Its one thing to have a second baseman with no power or a utility infielder with no power, or a catcher with no power. Its another thing to have a starting OF'er with zero power.

 

Some have said they like him as a 4th OF'er. I disagree with that as well. Typically, you want your extra OF'ers to have some power to come off the bench late and try to tie a game with one swing, or be excellent/fast defenders to be a late inning defensive replacement.

 

As for the Cirillo comparison. Cirillo was a 10-15 HR guy between his 25 and 31 year old seasons and hit about 40 doubles a year.

 

Peterson is a tweener. He's Scott Podsednik without the speed.

 

That said, I'm happy hes getting a chance and I hope he proves us wrong.

[yfinn6]

I don't really care how many homeruns he will hit as long as he will work the count and get on base. We all complain about these hitters who swing for the fences but don't take borderline pitches and won't walk very often. Peterson has (almost) a 2K to 1 BB walk ratio - I'll take it (small sample size). He's going to hit a few homeruns, can we just have a few guys on the roster who just get on base?

 

He's not a plus defender, but he's also playing out of position in CF. If he can play a corner spot and some 1B, I'm good with him. He needs more at-bats if he continues to get on base at the pace he does. There will be other home run hitters in the lineup - I would prefer to fill a few of the gaps with guys who can just get on base.

[Oxy]

So, Brady Clark?

[monty57]

Shane's minor league OBP and SLG history are both better than Podsednik's. Interestingly, he's had high BABIPs throughout his career. On teams in which he has 200 or more plate appearances, he sports BABIPs of .398, .345, .330, .299, .380, 315, and .391.

 

It would seem that "slap hitters" who hit the ball all over the field should have a higher BABIP than guys who try to hit everything out of the park, especially now with all of the defensive schemes teams are using. Has anyone seen a study on this?

[djoctagone]

Shane Peterson = next Scotty Po?

no.

 

everybody can pronounce "peterson" correctly.

[JohnBriggs12]

I just don't see him as any more than a 4th or 5th OF. I'll give him this, he knows how to play the game and has learned how to maximize his somewhat limited ability, but anyone who's played 850 minor league games with over 3,500 plate appearances should know how to play the game.

[Boomer5]

Scotty > Peterson.

 

Why? Three words:

 

Lisa Dergan Podsednik

[Baldkin]

Doesn't that make him Brady Clark?

[MNBrew]

I get the impression Peterson's more athletic than Brady Clark.

[Thurston Fluff]

 

Disagree. Its one thing to have a second baseman with no power or a utility infielder with no power, or a catcher with no power. Its another thing to have a starting OF'er with zero power.

 

Some have said they like him as a 4th OF'er. I disagree with that as well. Typically, you want your extra OF'ers to have some power to come off the bench late and try to tie a game with one swing, or be excellent/fast defenders to be a late inning defensive replacement.

 

As for the Cirillo comparison. Cirillo was a 10-15 HR guy between his 25 and 31 year old seasons and hit about 40 doubles a year.

 

Peterson is a tweener. He's Scott Podsednik without the speed.

 

That said, I'm happy hes getting a chance and I hope he proves us wrong.

 

I don't think power is any more important in a bench player than OBP. While he may not win the game with one swing of the bat he will certainly start a rally more often. All I want in my bench players is the ability to do something well. Be that hit for power, get on base, play defense or steal bases it doesn't really matter. All of those things can come in handy at one point or another. The best thing to have is a little of each.

 

I think the best we can hope for is he has a good year and we can flip him for someone else later.

[CheezWizHed]

Scotty > Peterson.

 

Why? Three words:

 

Lisa Dergan Podsednik

 

 

I almost wrote the OP to state "without speed or the hot wife", but I wasn't sure of Peterson's marital status.

 

The power in CF shouldn't matter so much. Scott didn't either. If he is putting up a 700-750 OPS in CF with decent defense, that is a quality player.

 

Any opinions on his defense in CF? I don't see enough games to notice much.

 

If he keeps up the solid play this year, I'd prefer to see him in CF next year (let Reed and Maverick continue at AAA), then see if we can flip him for the El Caballo of 1B/3B.

[Baldkin]

It's tough to judge him in CF.... I'm going Friday, hopefully I'll get a good look sitting in the Terrace Box.

 

However, after 8 years of some of the best CF MLB had to offer (Cameron and Gomez) it's going to be tough to put a line on things.

[Jenkins5]

Nori Aoki doesn't hit for power from the Corner and I think he is pretty valuable. It think it's funny that so many people complain about Melvin because of his love for power hitters with lower OBP yet are not fans of high OBP guys who don't hit for power. In perfect world you scan develop up an OF of guys like Braun/Gomez/ Hart who all can hit for power, decent average, and good OBP. Most cases you have to pick between a Khris Davis power guy or a Michael Reed/Peterson type high OBP

 

I personally have always been a power fan however, I have grown sick of it. Teams built for power go too hot and cold. You give up defense, you give up OBP, and give up speed. I'd almost like to see a more speed, high OBP, great defensive team. Good pitching, great defense, and guys with speed who get on base at high clip is a little better than power guys. Power rant over...apologizes ha

 

Peterson is okay, he just hits. Think he is a very good bench OF to have. Doubt he will be an All-star like Scotty Po

[reillymcshane]

Peterson looks like a 4th OF to me. Does nothing really well, but does a lot of stuff solid. There's nothing wrong with what Peterson does. If he back up all the OF spots, back up 1B, pinch hit well - that's a good lefthanded bench bat - often harder to find than you think. I give him credit for producing with the chances he has had. I certainly expect his numbers to drop due to the high BABIP, but if he can keep his BA above .250ish, he's not a bad guy to have.

 

If Milwaukee moves Braun to 1B, Peterson is a nice fill in - lefty who only needs to get 10-15 starts at the position. The team doesn't burn a position guy just to cover the slot.

[Raw Biz]

Scotty > Peterson.

 

Why? Three words:

 

Lisa Dergan Podsednik

 

 

I almost wrote the OP to state "without speed or the hot wife", but I wasn't sure of Peterson's marital status.

 

 

Well if you find out something, I'm sure this guy would like to know.

 

http://www.talk-sports.net/mlb/girlfriend.aspx/Shane_Peterson

[monty57]

I don't think power is any more important in a bench player than OBP. While he may not win the game with one swing of the bat he will certainly start a rally more often. All I want in my bench players is the ability to do something well. Be that hit for power, get on base, play defense or steal bases it doesn't really matter. All of those things can come in handy at one point or another. The best thing to have is a little of each.

 

Agree. Everyone likes to imagine the "Casey at the bat" scenario where the team is down one run with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, but far more often bench bats come in mid-game to hit for the pitcher. The ability to get on base to lead off an inning or to make contact to drive in a runner in scoring position is probably at least as important as the ability to hit a timely home run. If Peterson turns into a productive bench bat for 5-6 seasons for below market price, that's pretty valuable.