MEET ROBBIE PETO

I confess that I have been suffering from COVID-19 and MLB/MLBPA fatigue over the past few weeks.   As Led Zeppelin would sing “Been dazed and confused . . . “   I can’t keep up with it all.  We’re going to play.  Nope, just kidding, we’re not going to play.  Wait a minute, it looks like we might play after all.  No, it’s not going to happen.  

Then you got the whole coronavirus discussion:   Trust the experts. No, no, not those experts.  Don’t trust anything the government and politicians tell you, unless of course they tell you something I agree with.  You should trust the statistics.   No, no not those statistics.    Wear masks, no, don’t wear masks.  If you wear masks wear masks, wear only good ones. Wait, don’t wear masks, but you can wear anything as a mask. Never mind on the masks.  You shouldn’t get within 6 feet of another person.   Definitely don’t participate in any protests.   Wait a minute, it’s okay to attend protests as long as it’s the right kind of protest.  It’s tiring and confusing.   Bewilderment has become the feeling of the day more often than not. 

With the prospects that baseball will not be played this season growing more and more likely with each passing day, it’s a struggle to find Dodger material to write about that is in any way positive.  Despite that, this blog is still a great place to hangout, whether for a few minutes or a few hours.   I’m biased, I know, but I believe that the baseball discussion here is far superior to that of any other like blog.   At times, it feels like we’re just a group of ol’ friends lounging in the backyard, over a bar b que, talking baseball, past memories, life at the beach, beets and other vegetables, time in the military or just whatever happened to get us on our journey from there to here.   As in any back yard gathering, we don’t always agree, nor do we have to.   I can think your opinion is “nutty”, at the same time offering to get you another drink, so we can talk some more.   Such is life in a family or community. 

Today, I’m feeling especially bewildered and had no desire to continue the on again off again negotiations between the owners and players.   So instead, let me introduce you to another young prospect recently added to the Dodger system.   Robbie Peto ( I love this guy just because we share the same name), who was signed by the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent.  Peto is a RHP from Stetson University who is, to date, the only player signed by the Dodgers as an undrafted free-agent.     

Robbie Peto was born on July 10, 1998, in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  He is the son of Michael and Nicolle Peto.   Peto, has a brother and a sister.   His grandfather, Walt Peto, played collegiate baseball at Seton Hall and reached the AAA level in the New York Yankees organization.  His father played collegiate baseball at Rutgers.   Robbie enjoys fishing and playing video games.   While at Stetson, he was a Communication and Media Studies major.

Peto played his high school ball at Monroe Township High School for coach Pat Geroni.   As a sophomore, Peto compiled a 5-1 record with a 2.27 ERA while averaging more than a strikeout per inning.  As a junior, Peto fanned 88 batters and walked 20 over 53 and a third innings. He posted a 5-3 record with a 1.57 ERA. He twice had no-hit bids ruined in the seventh inning and had to settle for one-hitters.  Then as a senior,  Peto had a 5-1 record with a 1.10 ERA. He struck out 79 batters and walked 19 over 51 innings.   Coming out of high school he was ranked as No. 2 right-handed pitcher and the No. 4 player overall in the state of New Jersey by Perfect Game.     He was also ranked No. 179 in Baseball America’s BA500 and No. 80 nationally by Perfect Game.    Peto was a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game All-American (second team) and a 2015 PG Underclass All-America (second team).   Peto was a two-time MVP of the Cal Ripken World Series and a three-time all-state selection.   He finished his prep career as the winningest pitcher in school history, with an overall 15-5 record.   He posted 182 strikeouts over 118.2 innings and threw three no-hitters.

Coming out of High School, Baseball America had this to say about Peto for the 2016 draft:

Peto came on strong early last summer, when he showed a promising three-pitch mix at the Perfect Game National Showcase in June. Shortly after that event, Peto committed to North Carolina. He would go on to pitch at a few more high profile events, establishing himself as one of the top prospects in the northeast. Peto’s fastball reaches into the low 90s and shows plus movement, with late sinking action. His best offspeed pitch is his changeup, which shows above-average potential. He also throws a breaking ball that sits in the upper 70s with slurvy shape, and the pitch could develop into a third average offering. Peto has the stuff to be a starter, but he has a somewhat long arm action and there’s effort in his delivery, leading some evaluators to question Peto’s ability to start long-term. He has a sturdy 6-foot-4 frame and could be an immediate contributor for the Tar Heels if he makes it to campus.

Robbie Peto had this to say about himself on a 2016 recruiting profile:

If I had to describe what makes me different than other players, I would say that baseball has been part of my family long before I was born.  My grandfather was a player in the Yankees organization and was a coach for over thirty years.  My father was coached by my grandfather and played baseball at the college level at Rutgers University. He has coached me since I was five years old.  These two men have influenced me both on and off the field.  They taught me the fundamentals of the sport and the way to behave both as a person and a player. I have learned that to be a good ball player, you need to know how to play the sport, but to be a great ball player, you have to know how to be a great person as well as ball player. 

Peto was drafted by the Angels coming out of Monroe High School in the 30^th round.   He opted not to sign and instead went to North Carolina State, where he was in the same recruiting class as Michael Busch, the Dodger’s 2^nd choice in last years’ draft.  Peto choose the Wolfpack over St. John’s and Wagner University.  Peto redshirted at Chapel Hill during the 2017 season.  He did not make an appearance for the Tar Heels in 2017, but did spend the summer with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League making eight appearances over 22 innings.

After the 2017 season Peto, along with his best friend, Zach Attianese, another North Carolina State recruit from New Jersey, transferred to  State College of Florida.   Attianese, as I’ll share later, was a big reason for Peto signing with the Dodgers. 

As a redshirt freshman at the State College of Florida, Peto made 10 starts and posted a 3-2 record with a 5.23 ERA, while averaging 10.23 strikeouts per nine innings.  He recorded 47 strikeouts in 41.1 innings of work.   He also made the Dean’s List

Peto was eligible for the 2018 MLB draft.  This time Baseball America had him Ranked as the #441 prospect and had this to say about him: 

Peto was a highly regarded prep arm out of high school, but got to campus in Chapel Hill after the Dodgers(SIC) selected him in the 30th round of the 2016 draft. After not getting playing time at UNC, Peto transferred to State JC of Florida where he’s battled lower back issues and had less impressive stuff than previously advertised. Peto has thrown a fastball in the 90-94 range with exceptional riding life in the past, with a good breaking ball as well, but this spring he sat 90-91 with a well below-average breaking ball. He was also less than effective when he was healthy, posting a 5.23 ERA in 41.1 innings, striking out 47 batters (10.23 K/9) and walking 20 (4.35 BB/9). Peto is committed to Stetson and could take advantage of a program that has done a tremendous job developing pitchers to improve his draft stock next season. He’ll need to show he can stay healthy and get through a full season but the natural ability is still in there.

Peto went undrafted in 2018, instead choosing to attend Stetson University.   As a redshirt sophomore in 2019, Peto pitched in 16 games, with 15 of them as a starter.   He had an ugly 1-9 record.  However, he received just 2.9 runs per game support.  Nine of his games were one-run games.   His only victory of the season was against Florida State, when he worked 4 no-hit innings with six strikeouts in a 1-0 win, as he teamed with 2 other pitchers to no-hit the Seminoles.   Peto allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10 of his 15 starts but was 1-5 with four no decisions in those games.  24 of the 34 earned runs he allowed all season, came in five games.  Peto had an 8.75 ERA in those five games and a 1.00 ERA in his 11 other outings.  

Peto was Ranked the #314 prospect by Baseball America for the 2019 draft, who profiled him as follows:

Highly touted out of high school, Peto was drafted by the Dodgers(sic) in the 30th round in 2016, but instead made it to campus at North Carolina. After a redshirt season in Chapel Hill due to back issues, Peto transferred to the State JC of Florida for his 2018 season, where his stuff was down in the 90-91 mph range. At Stetson, Peto stuff has bounced back and he’s thrown a 94-95 mph fastball that has touched 97.  His secondaries were well below-average a year ago, but they have improved this season. The arsenal includes a curveball that he began throwing with a spike grip once he got to Stetson, which has an impressive track record of developing pitchers. While Peto has posted a 4.48 over 13 starts, he has struck out 68 batters in 60 innings and his improved stuff could interest teams on day two, though his medical history will be a factor.

He was selected in the 26th round of the MLB Amateur Draft by Tampa Bay but, again, chose not to sign.   He returned to Stetson for his red-shirt junior season. 

During an abbreviated 2020 season with Stetson, Peto had a 3-0 record, with an impressive 1.78 ERA, striking out 41 batters in 25.1 innings, while walking 13. Opponents batted just .172 against him.  “I was off to a really good start this year, but wasn’t sure it was going to be enough to go in one of five rounds,” Peto said regarding the 2020 Draft.   Several teams expressed interest in Peto, a hard-thrower with tremendous arm strength, a great build, and an outstanding pedigree, but alas he wasn’t drafted.  

As mentioned above, Peto was best friends with Zach Attianese.   They roomed together as freshman at North Carolina State and the following year at State College of Florida.  They would often talk about one day playing pro ball together for the same organization.   Tim Hill II, who coached Peto and Attianese at the State College of Florida,, stated in an interview that the Los Angeles Dodgers called Attianese and expressed interest in selecting him during the 2018 MLB draft.  Attianese, who had an excellent year at State College of Florida made it abundantly clear he wouldn’t sign a professional contract at the time because he wanted to continue his development and education at Florida State University for whom he was going to play in 2019.   Peto, signed his contract with the Dodgers on the 2-year anniversary of Attianese’s untimely death.   “He at all times wanted to play for the Dodgers because he loved (Clayton) Kershaw,” Peto said of Attianese, adding that his grandfather, Walt, who the Yankees drafted in 1967, was also a huge Dodgers fan.   “It just felt like it was so right for me to go with the Dodgers,” said Peto, who called Los Angeles “a great organization.”

Peto’s phone began “blowing up” at 9 a.m. Sunday when teams were allowed to begin calling free agents.

“I heard from the Tigers, the Brewers, Indians and the Blue Jays,” Peto said. “The Dodgers and the Blue Jays were the two coming at me the most aggressively. It was different for each team, though. Some teams I would just hear from one person, but with the Blue Jays, I probably spoke with eight or nine people in the organization. With the Dodgers I probably spoke to 13 or 14 people.” “At one point, I was on a zoom call (with the Dodgers) with eight different people who run their minor league pitching staff, and we just talked pitching for like a half-hour. It was an exciting day.”   “When it comes to developing pitchers, there’s no one really better out there than the Dodgers,” Peto said. “It’s the perfect fit.”

“When they announced that[draft would only be 5 rounds], there were a plethora of players around the country who were disappointed, and probably no one more than Robbie,” said Stetson head coach Steve Trimper. “We all thought he’d go in the 6th, 7th or 8th round … in the four weeks that we played he certainly proved that.”  

The slot value of a player picked in the sixth round last year was between $237,000 and $301,600. 

“I’m going to be a little broke,” Peto added with a laugh. “It’s going to pay off, though. It’s part of the grind.”  “I made the best decision I could have possibly made when I transferred from junior college to Stetson,” said Peto, “I was truly so happy at Stetson … the hardest thing about all of this is having to leave.”

“But they told me it’s time for me to start my pro career, and I agree with them. It’s time for me to go out and do it.”

Because no one knows when baseball will resume, Peto doesn’t know when, or what, his next move will be.  Normally, newly signed players will head to instructional leagues and rookie ball for the remainder of the summer, but the ongoing pandemic has put everything in doubt, including a season.   For now, Peto, who with his family had a zoom call with the Dodgers to commemorate the signing, plans to work out from his New Jersey home. Later this week.  Peto said he will continue to work out and throw on a regular basis while awaiting his assignment, which might not come until the fall or the spring. Regardless, Peto said he will be more than ready. 

Peto will also be working with the PRD Baseball Academy this summer along with his former high school head coach Pat Geroni and former high school assistant coach Shawn McCorkle. 

“Robbie comes from a great baseball household,” mentioned Geroni, “It was ingrained in him at a younger age. He is aware of the right way to carry himself on the field. When Robbie performed, he was always a team-first player.  “I have a really good feeling that, matched with his natural character, you will really see him work toward something special,” Geroni said. “I wouldn’t be surprised with his skill set, mental state and baseball pedigree if you saw him actually make it (to the Major Leagues) within three to four years. It wouldn’t shock me at all.” 

His Stetson coach added; 

“Robbie has an infectious personality that other people want to be around,” Trimper said. “I know he’s going to be very successful.”

Peto’s signing didn’t create much of a blip on the Dodger news radar screen.   His college statistics don’t scream “destined for greatness”, but here’s a young man that has worked very hard for the past 6 or more years, and I wish him nothing but success on this part of his journey.

Feel free to continue on with whatever you want to discuss.   As you do, would you mind getting me another rib?   

I’ve added a great underdog song to help Peto on the way.