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Blue Jays 40-man Roster Review: Michael Petersen’s fastball averages 97 mph, making him a nice depth option
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Photo credit: © Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Jan 29, 2025, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 29, 2025, 06:34 EST
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Do you remember when Micahel Petersen was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays?
This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual 40-man Roster Review, where we look at the players on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster. We’ll look at how the player performed in 2024, his season projections for the 2025 season, and any storylines heading into this coming season. In this article, we’ll look at Michael Petersen.
Born in the United Kingdom, the 30-year-old was drafted three separate times, eventually signing with the Milwaukee Brewers who picked him in the 17th round of the 2015 draft. The right-handed pitcher had a slow rise up the minor league system, not reaching Triple-A to his aged 29 season in 2023, posting a 3.46 ERA and a 4.38 FIP in 41.2 innings pitched with the Colorado Rockies’ Double-A and Triple-A team.
Petersen signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2024 season, pitching well with their Triple-A team as he had a 1.64 ERA and a 2.29 FIP in 33 innings pitched, with a 35.2 K% and a 6.4 BB%. He was added to their 40-man roster in the summer but struggled with the Dodgers as he had a 6.43 ERA and a 6.31 FIP in 14 innings pitched.
The right-handed pitcher was designated for assignment and was claimed by the Miami Marlins in September. In the final month of the season, Petersen had a 4.76 ERA and a 3.70 FIP in 5.2 innings pitched, before once again being designated for assignment and being claimed by the Jays in early November.
Although he hasn’t pitched for Canada’s team (he did pitch for Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Qualifiers), Fangraphs’ Steamer projections have him posting a 4.42 ERA and a 4.53 FIP in 36 innings pitched. Petersen’s worst projection is from ATC, which has him posting a 4.52 ERA and a 4.29 FIP in 28 innings pitched, while OOPSY projects the 30-year-old to have a 3.92 ERA and a 4.31 FIP in 36 innings pitched, with a 23.9 K% and a 9.9 BB%.
The right-handed pitcher is someone worth monitoring this season. Last season, his fastball sat at 97.1 mph with a hard cutter, a changeup with 10 mph of separation, and a rarely used slider. The fastball velocity is intriguing enough, but Petersen has options remaining as well, meaning he’s a good depth option for the 2025 Blue Jays. We’ll see if he avoids being designated for assignment if the Blue Jays add someone to the 40-man roster.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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