Peyton Bonds

IMPROVEMENT AREAS

• Evaluate sustained performance with level and age context
• Review role fit, health, roster status, and organization need

SCOUT REPORT

Yes, it is that Bonds. Peyton is the son of Bobby Jr., who played 11 years of pro ball with the Padres, Giants and in indy ball, grandson of Bobby, whose big league career spanned 14 years, and nephew of Barry. Also an outfielder, Peyton Bonds went from Franklin HS in New Jersey -- where he was a teammate of A's prospect Joshua Kuroda-Grauer -- to Campbell University for his freshman year. He then returned to the Garden State to play for Rutgers, where he had a solid sophomore season, then turned his performance up a notch this spring, though a hamstring injury suffered in an April series against UCLA kept him off the field for a spell. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Bonds looks like he was sent down from central casting, even if his current offensive profile doesn't quite fit the body type. He has a really good feel to hit, with excellent in-zone bat-to-ball skills. There's plenty of bat speed and high exit velocities, but it hasn't translated to power just yet, with some thinking there could be more unlocked with some bat path adjustments at the next level. While Bonds has average speed, maybe a tick better, he might not be a pure base stealer. But he can really play center field, with outstanding instincts to stay up the middle for a long time. He gets high marks for his plus makeup and passion for the game, perhaps handed down from his father, who grinded it out in the Minors for more than a decade.