The Toronto Blue Jays signed 16 of their 19 picks from the 2023 MLB Draft, with the club losing their second-round pick as compensation for signing Chris Bassitt to a three-year deal the offseason before. As time was ticking down on Day 3 of the draft, the Blue Jays used their 20th and final pick on Kai Peterson, a southpaw from Sierra College. It was his first year in Rocklin, California, as the left-hander spent the previous season at Sacramento City College before joining the Wolverines.

“The whole draft experience was just awesome,” said Peterson, speaking to Blue Jays Nation. “I was with a bunch of family and friends and we were just hanging out on our phones and watching the draft, hoping to see my name across the board.”

With Sacramento City College, Peterson primarily worked out of the bullpen through 12 outings and 23 1/3 innings, pitching to the tune of a 2.70 ERA. With the Wolverines, Peterson made the switch from the bullpen to the rotation and reaped the rewards – posting a 3.86 ERA across 19 outings (16 starts) to the tune of a 1.40 WHIP. He appeared in 84 innings (team-high) and struck out 127 batters (13.6 K/9) with a 6.0 H/9.

“They (the Blue Jays) reached out a few times that season, so I knew there was some interest from Toronto,” said Peterson. “I was happy to hear my name called, it’s always been my dream to get drafted and be able to turn pro and I was grateful that the Blue Jays were willing to take a chance on me.”

Following the draft, Peterson did not appear in affiliate ball after pitching so many innings that year with the Wolverines. The left-hander had ramped up the workload from being a reliever the year prior and the Blue Jays thought it would be best if he rested to finish his draft year, a tactic the club has used with numerous arms over the years with prospect pitchers.

“It was almost like an early offseason in that regard, following all the paperwork and with the signing becoming official,” said Peterson. “I threw quite a few pitches that season and the workload was the highest I have had in quite some time. We just pivoted towards the winter and turned the attention towards working behind the scenes for the 2024 season.”

This past spring, Peterson began the year in single-A Dunedin and was working out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays. Through his first month of pro ball, he allowed just three earned runs through 9 2/3 innings with 19 punch-outs on his record. His first outing against the Lakeland Flying Tigers saw him earn three strikeouts across two innings while his second outing against the Tampa Tarpons saw him add five more, a strong start to the season for the left-hander.

A few rough outings in May bumped his ERA up but the California product gritted it out and brought his numbers down to 4.60 with a 5.5 H/9 while battling some command inconsistencies. His strikeout rate continued to impress the staff, as he authored an 18.1 K/9 rate across 31 1/3 innings and the reliever was moved to high-A Vancouver in early July.

“I don’t think I have ever pitched in front of that many people,” laughed Peterson, speaking about his first outing at (Rogers Field at) Nat Bailey Stadium. “The fans in Vancouver love that team, it doesn’t matter what day of the week it is. They show up and pack the house. Even if you are not on the bump that day, you can feel the fans and the electricity they bring.”

Similar to his single-A debut, Peterson got off to a strong start in Vancouver. He allowed just one earned run through six innings of work through July and struck out nine batters – continuing to showcase his dominant strikeout material. Peterson works mostly with a sinker and pairs that offering with a slider and a curveball.

One tough outing against Hillsboro in September inflated his ERA above the four mark but his overall numbers were solid. Peterson put together a 13.8 K/9 against tougher opponents in high-A and held them to a .573 OPS across 18 1/3 innings. Peterson also made one appearance for the Canadians in their quest for the Northwest League Championship, appearing in Game #3 against the Spokane Indians. He tossed a clean eighth inning with one strikeout, with the Canadians eventually dropping the series 3-1.

“Not much changed in terms of my routine or how I attacked hitters after I joined the Canadians,” said Peterson. “At each level, hitters are more mature and have more reps under their belt, they just understand their swing a lot more. There are a few free swingers here and there but each team has one or two bats who can demolish the baseball, so you just have to execute your gameplan. It’s the same game no matter where you are playing at the end of the day.”

Across both levels, Peterson finished his first pro season with a 6-4 record and a 4.53 ERA through 49 2/3 innings. He allowed just one home run all season long and held opponents to a .169 average and a .605 OPS while tossing a 16.5 K/9, which led all Blue Jays prospects in the minor leagues.

With his first season under his belt, Peterson is looking towards next season and is dedicated to working on his command this winter as he gets prepared for next spring, likely heading back to Vancouver to get more reps in high-A under his belt.

“I think the biggest thing this past season was my command, losing that got me into trouble in a few different games this year,” said Peterson. “I want to develop some more consistency so I don’t miss my spots and continue working on just focusing in and drilling that strike zone. I know I have swing and miss in my arsenal but now I need to just hammer in that strike zone and reduce the walks to become a more polished reliever.”