Ben
Peterson

Cape Cod: One of the more intriguing breakout arms I encountered this summer, Peterson is transferring from Florida Southwestern JC to UNC, close to his hometown of Cary, N.C. With a big, strong 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, Peterson is built like a workhorse, and he features a clean arm action to a high release point, working downhill with a fastball that sat 92-94 in his first inning of work, then settled in at 91-93 in his second frame and dropped to 88-91 in his third inning. Peterson complemented the heater with a pair of good secondary pitches: an 87-88 mph splitter with good dive and low spin in the 1100s-1300s, and a solid-average slider at 81-84 that he can land for a strike or use to expand the zone.

Peterson pitched in 11 games, making four starts, as a true Appalachian State freshman in 2021. He finished the season on a high note, posting three scoreless innings with four strikeouts in a win over Texas State in his final outing of the season. Now a sophomore at Florida SouthWestern, the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder can pump his fastball in the 94-96 mph range, topping out at 97 with late life in the zone. He supports his big heater with an 82-85 mph slider that is tight and deceptive as well as a split-changeup that might be his best current pitch. He throws it with excellent arm speed and deception, imparting nasty bottoming-out action on the pitch. With Peterson's projectable frame and three-pitch arsenal, he has the makings of becoming a durable, mid-rotation type who can log a lot of innings

Athletic frame at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds.  High ceiling with strength left to add and a quick hand at release.  Fastball sat 84-86 from an over-the-top slot, exaggerated to create angle at times.  Hard, 12/6 tilt with feel of the breaking ball at 72-74.  Choppy rhythm with a high leg kick settling at balance before breaking the hands and picking up his delivery tempo at foot strike.  Quick arm may become faster with better tempo.

Tall, Athletic 6-foot-3, 185 pound frame.  Lanky with plenty of room to continue to add strength.  Fastball up to 89, sitting 85-88. Flashed an ability to pitch off the fastball to both sides of the plate.  Did elevate at times as well. Breaking ball has hard, downer action at 73-76. Advanced feel for the pitch and the ability to pitch off the breaking ball.  Tilt on the pitch allows fastball to play up, especially when the fastball is elevated. Slow delivery, loading the backside at balance and creating some tempo out of balance.  High front side creates some deception. Long arm action is clean getting to an over-the-top slot. Good direction and extension. Hips work through each pitch and he maintains some balance and athleticism through finish.  Stuff may tick up with increased tempo in the delivery and will continue to climb as the frame matures.