After laying waste to the Eastern League for three months, Nationals right-handed pitching prospect Brad Peacock was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse this week. It’s not hard to imagine the 23-year-old joining Washington’s big-league rotation sometime soon.
Peacock was just a 41st round draft pick in 2006. At that point in the draft you’re nothing more than a lottery ticket to the team that takes you. But Peacock — though not especially impressive his first three full pro seasons — gradually filled out, mastered a knuckle curveball and made some mechanical changes that allow him to command his fastball better.
The result? How about 129 strikeouts in just 16 games at Double-A Harrisburg this season. Peacock walked just 23 at that level and was 10-2 with a 2.01 ERA. The Nats had seen enough. He will make his first start at Syracuse this weekend and with a strong second half could be pitching with Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann in the majors early in 2012.
