In case you havent been following Major League Baseball over the past month, there has been a lot going on in the playing career of Western Nevada Colleges most famous baseball alum, DJ Peters.
As reported earlier this summer in this newsletter, Peters was celebrating the lifelong dream of playing for his boyhood team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Amidst that joy, Peters was also dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of being a fringe Dodgers player, meaning he frequently shuttled back and forth from the parent club to its training site and its Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.
Ultimately, the Dodgers 40-man roster became too crowded from a series of trades and some of their players returning from injury that they designated Peters for assignment. DFA in big league circles is equivalent to being released since the team only retains the rights to that player for a week afterward while other teams around the league can either trade for him or pick him up on the waiver wire (with the team with the worst record having the first chance to sign the player).
Fortunately for Peters, he didnt have to wait long. The Texas Rangers, struggling in last place in the American League West, made Peters a waiver wire acquisition on Aug. 2 and he was playing for them a day later. In fact, he was delivering a hit and scoring a run the very next day.
That was a quick turnaround for Peters but one that he was accustomed to after what had transpired with the Dodgers. What expedited and smoothed the road to Texas for Peters was that his new manager, Chris Woodward, used to coach in the Dodgers organization and was familiar with him. Peters is one of four former players from the Dodgers organization playing for the Rangers.
Hes got a lot to prove and hopefully we can give him the opportunity, Woodward said to the Dallas Morning News. Just knowing him, it was a little bit shocking to me that he was available. Hes a guy Ive targeted since Ive been here because I knew him obviously from my days in L.A. The fact that he wasnt performing as well, maybe people were a little bit scared of him.
Peters hit .192 with the Dodgers, collecting five hits and eight walks and scoring five runs in his small sample size of 25 at-bats. One of his hits was a home run. With the Rangers so far, Peters has five homers and 14 RBI. Not too many players can say that they have homered in the National and American leagues in the same season, but now Peters has that distinction. In fact, his three-run ninth-inning homer at Cleveland on Aug. 24 secured a 7-3 victory against the Indians.
When he isnt belting home runs, Peters has been demonstrating that he is a future Gold Glove candidate. Check out the defensive gem he made against the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 21: https://www.mlb.com/news/dj-peters-wins-play-of-the-week. First, the center fielder robbed Rafael Devers of an extra-base hit with a leaping catch against the wall adjacent to the Green Monster, then he had the presence to throw to first base to complete a double play. The improbable double play earned the MLB Play of the Week Award and will likely be considered for the Defensive Play of the Year.
Obviously, Woodward isnt scared of Peters, giving the 6-foot-6 rookie the opportunity to take swings that he wasnt regularly receiving in Los Angeles.
Its definitely something new, Peters said to a MLB reporter. Im really fortunate that the Rangers called my name. Im really fortunate to be here. I absolutely love the Dodgers organization. They will always have, you know, a special place in my heart being I grew up there. I was actually hoping I would be picked up by the Rangers. Its familiar, so it kind of feels like home already.
Now, it will be up to Peters to make the most of the opportunity Woodward and the Rangers are giving hm.