When Jace Peterson came through with a two-run double in the eighth inning to make Matt Wisler a winner in Wisler’s sparkling major league debut, the pitcher wasn’t surprised. He’d been roommates with Wisler last season with the Padres’ Triple-A El Paso affiliate, and they were also teammates in low-Single A in 2012 and high-A in 2013.
Peterson only hit .113 with no extra-base hits in 58 plate appearances (27 games) during his first call-ups with the big-league Padres in 2014, but teammates such as Wisler saw enough of him to believe he was capable of much more once he got regular playing time in the majors.
“He was coming up and down last year, didn’t really get a chance to stick,” Wisler said. “And this year he had a good opportunity. He’s a good ballplayer, an awesome dude. A hard worker. So it’s awesome to see for him.”
Peterson’s had two hits Friday and doubled for the third consecutive game, giving the second baseman and leadoff man a .284 average and .358 on-base percentage with 16 extra-base hits (two homers) and 30 RBIs in 63 games before Saturday.
He’s silenced a lot of skeptics and rewarded the confidence that manager Fredi Gonzalez and the Braves had in him this spring, when he won the opening-day second base job, and in April when Gonzalez stuck with him despite a sluggish start.
After hitting .171 with one extra-base hit, two RBIs and a .239 OBP and .220 slugging percentage in his first 15 games for the Braves, Peterson had a .310 average (57-for-184) with 15 extra-base hits, 28 RBIs and a .385 OBP and .424 slugging percentage in his past 48 games before Saturday.
“I’m just trying to take the same approach that I’ve always taken,” Peterson said Saturday. “I’m happy where I’m at, but I’m not satisfied. I want to keep going, keep getting better, keep putting good at-bats together and, most of all, continue to get wins. I feel like that’s the most important thing, and if we can do that at the big-league level on an every-day basis, we’ll be in a good spot.”
Braves fans have quickly warmed to Peterson, one of four prospects who came from the Padres in the January trade that sent Justin Upton to San Diego. This will help get the home fans on your side: In 30 games at Turner Field, Peterson has hit .330 (33-for-100) a .414 OBP.
The Braves found a potent 1-2 combination atop their lineup when they moved Peterson to the leadoff spot with another hot-hitting former Padre, Cameron Maybin, in the No. 2 hole. Maybin came from San Diego along with Wisler in the six-player trade that sent Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton Jr. to the Padres on the eve of opening day.
From the leadoff spot, Peterson was batting .284 (38-for-134) with 14 extra-base hits (two triples, two homers), 16 runs, 21 RBIs, a .360 OBP and .433 slugging percentage before Saturday.
And he’s also become one of the Braves’ best hitters with runners in scoring position, batting .354 (17-for-48) with three doubles, two triples, two homers, a .421 OBP and .625 slugging percentage, the second-best slugging percentage on the team to Freddie Freeman’s .655 in those situations.
“We’ve given him an opportunity to play,” Gonzalez said. “He’s getting better (defensively) each day at second base, moreso around the bag, learning the double-play footwork. Offensively we let him play, and he keeps producing.”
In his past 18 games before Saturday, Peterson was 26-for-75 (.347) with 12 extra-base hits, 12 RBIs, a .424 OBP and .560 slugging percentage.
This from a guy who, after his first 15 games this season, had a .138 batting average, .196 OBP and .160 slugging percentage with one extra-base hit in 94 at-bats with the Padres and Braves.
Peterson was asked Saturday how he avoided getting frustrated after last year’s results and the slow start this season.
“I don’t know if I avoided it, I might have hid it a little bit,” he said. “But inside I know what I can do. I don’t like to fail, but I feel like when times do come when you do fail, you learn a lot. Just in how to handle it. At the end of the day you’ve got to keep going, so when rough times hit, just keep working, keep pushing, and eventually it’ll turn.”
