Kansas City Royals Prospect Review: Five to Watch in 2015

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Mark Peterson

As many teams have learned over the years, there is no such thing as having too many quality relievers. Even the Royals, owners of the bullpen Cerberus of Greg Holland, Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera, brought back Luke Hochevar and Jason Frasor for bullpen depth. One can never have enough arms.

The Royals bullpen strength is part of what makes Mark Peterson such an intriguing pitcher. An undrafted college free agent, Peterson has done nothing but dominate since joining the Royals system. Overall, in his 134.2 innings spanning 99 games, Peterson has logged 43 saves with a 1.94 ERA and a 1.077 WHiP. Those numbers would be impressive for a top draft choice, let alone a player who went undrafted.

Yet, despite his success, Peterson is not likely to be seen on any top prospect list. Perhaps this is due to his reliance upon ground balls instead of an overpowering arm. That is not to say that Peterson strictly relies upon his defense, as he has struck out 110 batters in those 134.2 innings.

After dominating the low minors, Mark Peterson is likely to start the 2015 season in Northwest Arkansas. If he can continue to pitch at that same level, Peterson could easily find himself as part of the future in the Royals bullpen. Should they be forced to trade either Davis or Holland due to financial concerns, having a young reliever who has a track record of dominance in the minors may help lessen the blow as much as possible.

Mark Peterson has had quite the minor league career thus far. It will be interesting to see if that same level of success continues.

Next: The September sensation