Sam Petersen is hitting well in the 2025 Arizona Fall League. What the Washington Nationals want to know is whether the 22-year-old can hit well enough to claim a spot in their young and talented outfield.
In 14 games this fall, Petersen is hitting .333 with 3 homers, 4 doubles and 13 RBI. He got a late start on the 2025 season due to a leg injury – yet in 57 games in the low minors batted .310 with 7 homers, 28 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 24 attempts.
PEORIA, AZ: Sam Petersen of the Scottsdale Scorpions is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run against the Peoria Javelinas at Peoria Sports Complex on Oct. 23, 2025. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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Day-game temperatures last week were around 90 degrees in Arizona. Petersen’s bat was even hotter over a four-game stretch when he went 8-for-17 (.471).
On Saturday, he delivered a walk-off single and was mobbed by his teammates. The game-winner was a blistering line shot up the middle.
“I was looking for his best pitch, a fastball, and I got it,” Petersen said in the Scottsdale Scorpions’ dugout as he scrambled to put his uniform back on. It had been ripped off in the celebration of a 7-6 win over the Salt River Rafters.
Colorado Rockies prospect Welington Herrera surprised Petersen on breaking balls earlier in the at bat.
“I swung over two breaking balls, fouled off another and was looking for the fastball all along,” Petersen said. “I finally got the heater I was looking for.”
The pitch came in at 94.7 mph and went back past Herrera at 106.7.
In a 4-for-4 game last Friday, Petersen mashed against various velocities according to BaseballSavant.com
- Homer off 93.6 mph pitch, exit velocity 100.2
- Single off 92.6 mph pitch, exit velocity 98.5
- Single off 93.1 pitch, exit velocity 102.5
- Double off 98.1 pitch, exit velocity 98.5
“Those are the days that are a lot of fun in baseball,” Peterson said. “I’m just out here for at bats because I missed so much time. I just want to get better and lay the groundwork going into next season. I’ve learned a lot and hopefully will continue to learn.”
Interestingly, all those big hits were on fastballs, though none brought to mind those thrown by Paul Skenes or Aroldis Chapman. Some scouts say Petersen’s weakness as a hitter is against elite heat.
A Hitting Background; Foreboding Future
Petersen’s bat-to-ball and running skills at the University of Iowa brought him to scouts’ attention. In 133 games over three seasons in college, he hit .305 with 27 doubles, 22 homers, 107 RBI and 40 steals. The Nationals picked Petersen in the eighth round, No. 230 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, and paid him a $230,900 signing bonus.
WASHINGTON, DC: Dylan Crews of the Washington Nationals celebrates his home run against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on April 27, 2025. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
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Despite all the nice numbers, Petersen is down the Washington organization’s list of other outfielders who were paid more to sign:
- Dylan Crews, No. 2 in 2023, $9 million
- Cristhian Vaquero, $4.925 million signing bonus from Cuba in 2022
- Robert Hassell III, No. 8 in 2020, $4.3 million (by San Diego Padres)
- Daylen Lile, No. 47 in 2021, $1.75 million
- Ethan Petry, No. 49 in 2025, $2.09 million
- James Wood, No. 62 in 2021, $2.6 million (by San Diego Padres)
- Andrew Pinckney, No. 102 in 2023, $500,000
- Christian Franklin, No. 123 in 2021, $425,000 (by Chicago Cubs)
- Jacob Young, No. 203 in 2021, $275,000
Petersen is ranked No. 24 among Nationals prospects by MLB Pipeline. Petry is No. 8, Franklin, 12, Vaquero, 25, and Pinckney, 30. The other five played in Washington this season.
Even without all that competition, the odds are long that Petersen will make the majors. Only 23% (14 of 60) of players picked at No. 230 have made it.
SEATTLE: Former Seattle slugger Jay Buhner shaves the hair of current Mariners star Cal Raleigh during the 30th anniversary of the “Buhner Buzz” promotion at Victory Hall, across the street from T-Mobile Park, on June 13, 2024. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The best was slugger Jay Buhner, the 230th pick in 1983. He had 310 homers in a 15-year MLB career. Picked by the New York Yankees, his best years were with the Seattle Mariners. Over an eight-season stretch (1991-97) for Seattle, he averaged 32 homers, 99 RBI.
Prospect Sam Petersen’s Profile
The six-foot, 200-pounder is an adept outfielder. He has played some right field, is good in center and most suitable for left field due to an average arm.
His best asset is speed, though he is not a classic burner. He gets a good jump in the field and will track down balls hit to either side. On the bases in the minors and in college, he has 103 steals in 119 attempts.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL: Sam Petersen of the Washington Nationals signs an autograph before a spring training game against the New York Mets at Cacti Park at the Palm Beaches on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Jared Blais/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
Petersen needs to quit chasing breaking balls away. Then again, who doesn’t? He generally shows decent plate discipline. Some scouts question his ability to make solid contact against high heat but forecast medium-range power overall.
Petersen projects as a solid fourth outfielder on a contending team. You can bet other MLB teams are watching his performance this fall, knowing that his above-average skills across the board look like he can develop into a steady big-league outfielder in the future. If not for the Washington Nationals, perhaps with another franchise.