The New York Mets selected Colorado native David Peterson 20th overall in the amateur draft. Peterson is a left-handed starting pitcher, and he’s also a large human being. He’s listed at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds.
Peterson attended Regis High School in Aurora. The Boston Red Sox selected him in the 28th round in 2014, but he opted to go to the University of Oregon instead. Wayne Cavadi at Minor League Ball describes Peterson as a “strikeout artist” who also doesn’t walk a lot of batters. The college junior boosted his draft stock this past season, which led him to this first round selection. On April 28, he pitched a complete game shutout against Arizona State, and he struck out 20 batters while doing so.
As a polished college pitcher, it’s possible that Peterson makes his way through the minor leagues and into the Mets’ rotation quickly. Of course, Rockies fans have memories of a polished lefty out of Oregon who was also selected 20th overall and who took much longer to make the majors than originally thought—Tyler Anderson.
Congratulations to David, and good luck with the Mets (except when they’re playing the Rockies).