Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 45 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

While most of the scouting focus at Iowa was on the Hawkeyes' all-prospect rotation, they also have an outfielder who could go in the top five rounds. Petersen earned all-Big Ten Conference honors and starred in the playoffs to help Bourne with the Cape Cod League championship in 2023. He was posting a strong encore this spring before stress reactions in both his shins affected his swing and eventually ended his season in late April.

A right-handed hitter, Petersen has improved his ability to make hard contact and his plate discipline throughout his college career. Though he shows some feel for driving the ball in the air to his pull side, some scouts question his ability to turn on quality fastballs and hit for power with wood bats. He slugged just .329 with wood on the Cape and may top out at 12-15 homers per year.

Petersen is a consistent plus runner who will post occasional plus-plus times, and his quickness and instincts make him a dynamic basestealer. He spent most of his college career in left field despite his speed, so his ability to play center remains unproven. He possesses fringy arm strength that is playable in left or center.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 45 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

The Iowa rotation drew plenty of attention in recent years, especially for Brody Brecht, but Petersen stood out in his own right among the position-player group. An all-Big Ten selection in 2023, the outfielder got off to a strong start as a junior last year, hitting .333/.459/.571 with five homers and 17 steals in 33 games before stress reactions in both his shins ended his season in late April. The Nationals selected him in the eighth round, signed him for slot at $230,900 and got him seven games later in the summer with Single-A Fredericksburg.

Batting from the right side, Petersen can make for a kinetic at-bat as a constant waggler in the box. He improved his plate discipline over time in college, and he also made harder consistent contact. He slugged just .329 with wood bats in a trip to Cape Cod in 2023, and he struggled against velocity above 94 mph even with metal. There might just be enough power for 12-15 homers, and it was notable that, while he didn’t go deep with the FredNats, four of his eight hits went for extra bases in the small sample.

Petersen is a plus runner who has good baserunning instincts; he had a 90.9 percent success rate in steals in college and was 5-for-5 in the pros. Subpar arm strength pushed him primarily to left field with the Hawkeyes, and he might need to stay in a corner with superior defenders like Dylan Crews and Elijah Green options up the middle. With Petersen’s on-base ability and speed alone, he could fit nicely as a Major League fourth outfielder – a solid return for his Draft spot.

Awards

AFL Player of the Week

Week	Team
11/02/2025

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	09/10/2025	OF Sam Petersen assigned to Scottsdale Scorpions.
	06/05/2025	OF Sam Petersen assigned to Wilmington Blue Rocks from Fredericksburg Nationals.
	06/03/2025	Fredericksburg Nationals activated OF Sam Petersen from the 7-day injured list.
	05/19/2025	Fredericksburg Nationals sent OF Sam Petersen on a rehab assignment to FCL Nationals.
	05/19/2025	Fredericksburg Nationals sent OF Sam Petersen on a rehab assignment to FCL Nationals.
	05/03/2025	Fredericksburg Nationals sent OF Sam Petersen on a rehab assignment to FCL Nationals.
	05/03/2025	Fredericksburg Nationals sent OF Sam Petersen on a rehab assignment to FCL Nationals.
	04/02/2025	Fredericksburg Nationals placed OF Sam Petersen on the 7-day injured list.
	03/06/2025	activated CF Sam Petersen.
	03/05/2025	CF Sam Petersen assigned to Washington Nationals.
	03/05/2025	CF Sam Petersen roster status changed by Washington Nationals.
	08/31/2024	OF Sam Petersen assigned to Fredericksburg Nationals.
	08/31/2024	Fredericksburg Nationals activated OF Sam Petersen.
	07/22/2024	Washington Nationals signed OF Sam Petersen.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated OF Sam Petersen.
	05/10/2024	OF Sam Petersen assigned to Iowa Hawkeyes.
	06/09/2023	Bourne Braves activated OF Sam Petersen.
	06/08/2023	OF Sam Petersen assigned to College Workout.
	02/06/2023	OF Sam Petersen assigned to Iowa Hawkeyes.
	04/04/2022	Kingsport Axmen activated OF Sam Petersen.
	04/04/2022	OF Sam Petersen assigned to Kingsport Axmen.
	06/18/2020	SS Sam Petersen assigned to PG National 12 - White.
	06/18/2020	SS Sam Petersen assigned to PG National 12 - White.