The New York Mets have signed their first-round selection, LHP David Peterson, the 20th overall pick in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. Peterson will be assigned to Brooklyn (A) of the New York-Penn League.
Peterson, 21, went 11-4 with a 2.51 ERA and a school-record 140 strikeouts in 100.1 innings this year at University of Oregon. He issued just 15 walks. He finished the regular season second in the nation in strikeouts and victories, while ranking fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.33) and seventh in strikeouts per nine innings.
The 6-6, 240-pounder struck out 20 batters in a 2-0 shutout of Arizona State on April 28 earlier this year. He also had a 17 strikeout game on March 3 against Mississippi State.
Peterson was named a first-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and was a semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy, honoring the top amateur player and college baseball's best player respectively. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors and was also named a third-team All-American by Baseball America.
During his three-year career with the Ducks, Peterson went 19-15 with a 3.44 ERA (98 earned runs/256.2 innings) with 282 strikeouts and 76 walks.
Peterson spent last summer as a member of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. He was selected by the Red Sox in the 28th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, but elected to attend Oregon.