Future Friars: Jake Peavy

The Padres snagged Jake Peavy in the 15th round of the 1999 draft, out of an Alabama high school. A first-round talent, Peavy slipped due to signability concerns. But Kevin Towers and company were able to work out a deal, and Peavy has been making the Pads look like geniuses ever since.

Peavy, just 20 years old, has a smooth three-quarters delivery with which he throws a low-90s fastball and above-average secondary pitches (slider, changeup). His biggest assets, though, are his command and aggressiveness. He attacks hitters and does a good job of working both sides of the plate.

Named the #2 prospect in the organization by Baseball America and given a B-plus rating by John Sickels prior to the season, Peavy has gotten off to a good start at Double-A Mobile after punishing Cal League hitters for much of the season despite being one of the younger pitchers in the circuit.

If Peavy can duplicate his success at higher levels and avoid the injury bug, he could be a future front-end starter for the Padres for many years to come.

Level     IP   H  ER  HR  BB   SO   ERA
---------------------------------------
A+     105.1  76  36   6  33  144  3.08
AA      16.1  15   7   2   6   22  3.86