Man on the move: Tigers' shortstop prospect Peck now refining craft in Fall League

GLENDALE, Ariz. –- One of the unique difficulties the Arizona Fall League presents for hitters is the sheer variety of arms they have to face on an at-bat-to-at-bat basis, often without much prep. But name a full-season Tigers affiliate and John Peck played there in 2026 -- including a one-month stint in The Show. 

“It's just been a roller coaster of a year, ups and downs,” said Peck. “But it's all worked out. But it's been crazy.”

A tour through the Fall League will allow Peck to rack up additional at-bats that he missed out on after a hamstring injury sidelined him for six weeks during the summer. He went 0-for-4 with a walk during Scottsdale’s 5-2 win over Glendale at Camelback Ranch on Sunday afternoon, but he did put a ball in play at 110.3 mph off the bat, his hardest-hit ball recorded by Statcast this season. (That includes his Major League, Triple-A and Single-A at-bats.)

Further improving that hit tool is the biggest reason Peck embarked on his Fall League journey. Always considered a plus defender at the premium position of shortstop, the bat has been more of a work in progress. The Tigers’ No. 19 prospect is a career .288 hitter across four Minor League seasons but is still seeking that extra-base impact. 

Things largely clicked in 2026 as Peck set career highs in slugging percentage (.502) and OPS (.841) and was one of seven Tigers Minor Leaguers to accrue 30+ extra-base hits and 20+ steals. He spent the majority of the year back with Double-A Erie before zooming through a six-game stint with Triple-A Toledo (10-for-21). 

In a year that has included facing 19-year-olds during his rehab assignment in Single-A and a 42-year-old in the big leagues (Max Scherzer), Peck has gotten used to the opposition being unpredictable.

“Oh man, just a bunch of mechanical things and approach things,” said Peck of how he’s adapted. “It's always kind of changing things, just finding ways to be more efficient, so that's always kind of a battle. But definitely I’ve got some things to work on, that's part of why I'm here.” 

Peck has been something of a late bloomer after having a growth spurt during his senior year of high school that put him on the radar of Pepperdine, the only Division I program to offer him a scholarship. After starring for the Waves under the tutelage of former Tigers infielder Danny Worth, the club made him a seventh-round pick in the 2023 Draft -- the same class that netted the organization Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle at the top.

Last fall, McGonigle held down shortstop for Scottsdale and mashed his way through the circuit en route to MVP honors. 

Things have changed fast for Peck, who didn’t get his first taste of the upper Minors until Aug. 12 last year. He didn’t set the Eastern League on fire offensively (.698 OPS) but he provided his trademark exemplary defense, putting himself on the radar, which led to a non-roster invite to big league Spring Training this year.

Peck wasn’t going to break camp with Detroit, but he impressed over his 20 Grapefruit League games with a .333/.375/.600 slash line while making starts at shortstop, second and third base. That defensive versatility was a big reason why Peck got yet another promotion on Aug. 31 during a season full of them -- this one resulting in him donning a Tigers uniform. 

“That was super, super beneficial, just because when I got up there, I was more comfortable,” said Peck. “Because I'd been around the staff and the players it was -- I can't even put into words. It was very, very, beneficial.” 

“He's a mature guy with just the way he goes about his actions and his business,” said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch when Peck was first called up. “I want him to … just get himself used to this level because he has the skills to play reliable defense, show a little bit of power and see where this opportunity takes him.” 

The Fall League has long been known as the “finishing school” of baseball, the place where prospects propel themselves to the big leagues. For Peck, it’ll be a proving ground that he can make it back there to begin 2027 and beyond.