Dodgers sign undrafted free agent pitcher Robbie Peto

So far there has only been one reported Dodgers undrafted free agent signing, a little more than a day after the process began. Stetson right-handed pitcher Robbie Peto was the first undrafted player to sign with Los Angeles.

“Completely overwhelmed with emotions, but couldn’t be more excited to announce that I’ll be signing to play professional baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Peto posted on Instagram Sunday.

As of Monday morning, 80 undrafted free agents have signed with teams, per Baseball America, with a maximum signing bonus of $20,000. We’ll keep track of the undrafted players signed by the Dodgers over the next few months in this tracker.

Peto was not ranked in the top 500 draft prospects by Baseball America, though nine of the 80 undrafted signees so far throughout MLB were.

Peto was a redshirt junior at Stetson who fit the profile of the four pitchers the Dodgers drafted this year, in that he had a strong showing in an abbreviated 2020 season. Peto was 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA in four starts this year, with 41 strikeouts and 13 walks in 25⅓ innings. The 6’4, 225-pound right-hander had a 4.10 ERA in 2019, with 78 strikeouts and 28 walks in 74⅔ innings.

“We’re going to go after college juniors,” Dodgers vice president of amateur scouting Billy Gasparino said last week. “There is some advantage to coming in with us in a smaller draft class. If you’re one of 10 or 12 guys we end up signing instead of 30, that helps your cause.”

The Angels drafted Peto in the 30th round out of Monroe Township High School in New Jersey in 2016, but he did not sign. He opted instead for North Carolina, where he redshirted in 2017, then transferred to State College of Florida in Manatee for 2018 before coming to Stetson. Peto was also drafted in the 26th round by the Rays in 2019 but did not sign.

He turns 22 on July 10.