November 20th, 2019 at 4:00 pm 
by Ron Cervenka It was 230 years ago – in 1789 – that the great Benjamin Franklin wrote: “…but in this world, nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.”
If Benjamin Franklin were around today, he would have added a third item to his short list of life’s certainties: “Dodgers top prospect DJ Peters will be on their 40-man roster for Spring Training 2020.”
Ok, maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but you get the point.
On Wednesday afternoon and only hours before the 5 p.m. PT deadline to add minor league prospects to their 40-man roster to protect them from the upcoming Rule-5 Draft (which will be held during the Winter Meetings in San Diego on Thursday, December 12, 2019), the Dodgers added Peters, right-hander Mitchell White and utility infielder/outfielder Zach McKinstry to their 40-Man Roster, thereby protecting them from the aforementioned Rule-5 draft and guaranteeing them a locker in Big League camp at Camelback Ranch this Spring.
Peters, a native of nearby Glendora, CA and a lifelong Dodger fan, was selected by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB first-year player draft out of Western Nevada College in Carson City, NV. After tearing up the short-season Pioneer Rookie League with the Ogden Raptors, he completely bypassed Low Single-A and spent the entire 2017 season destroying Advanced Single-A California League pitching with a very good .276/.372/.514/.886 slash line with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. In fact, his 27 home runs and 82 RBI were third and fifth in the California League respectively that season.
(Photo courtesy of Baseball America)
Per MLB rules, players signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other teams via the Rule 5 Draft. Players signed at 19 years or older must be protected within four seasons. Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. If that player doesn’t remain on that team’s 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his original team for $50,000.
Although Peters posted a slash line of only .236/.320/.473/.793 with the Dodgers Double-A Tulsa Drillers during the 2018 season, his 29 home runs led the league and his 60 RBI were tied for 12th in the league. He split time between Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City this past season slashing .260/.388/.490/.879 with the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate while slugging 12 home runs and driving in 39 in his 57 games at OKC.
Needless to say, without being added to (and protected by) the Dodgers 40-man roster on Wednesday, there is zero doubt that Peters would have been snatched up in a heartbeat in the Rule-5 Draft on December 12, which also happens to be his 24th birthday.
Although Peters will have his work cut out for him to make the Dodgers Opening Day (now) 26-man roster out of Spring Training and even more so to accomplish what 24-year-old Cody Bellinger has done in just three seasons in the Bigs, those who have seen DJ Peters play know that if anyone can do it, it is he.
Play Ball!
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Posted in 
@8Peters The future is bright 🤩 go Dodgers !
👍👊🤚
@8Peters Yay!
@8Peters This guy rakes!!! Let’s go DJ!!!
@8Peters He has great power potential but how much has he improved his swing and miss propensity. Dod… https://t.co/31GxpOSmM4
Here is some of the players who were not added to the 40 man roster and eligible to be taken by other teams. Any Clemente’s among them?
Jair Camargo, Parker Curry, Starling Heredia, Nolan Long, Brayan Morales, Jake Peter, Carlos Rincon, Errol Robinson, Cristian Santana, Jordan Sheffield, Shea Spitzbarth Cody Thomas, Leonel Valera and Nick Yarnall.
A lot of talent (and great guys) there. Unfortunately, there simply is no place to plug them into the Dodgers 40-man.
I have to believe that many – perhaps even most – of these guys will not be taken in the Rule-5, although a few undoubtedly will.
UPDATE:
Just read on Baseball America that Jordan Sheffield (RHP) and Cristian Santana (3B) are on their Top-10 list of potential Rule-5 draftees. (GREAT for them!).
Ron, as was brought up before, the question remains on whether DJ Peters would be the most recent edition of Billy Ashley as far as those strikeouts go.
@8Peters He’ll have to cut down his K’s by half, to solidly make The Show. He definitely does rake tho!!!