Wild Things rookie has been a ‘Peek’ performer
Connor Peek, the Wild Things’ rookie infielder, has played more baseball games this year than in any other season.
“One hundred twenty-one,” Peek said prior to the Wild Things’ series against Gateway that concluded Thursday night at EQT Park.
Peek played 56 games this spring in the Big East Conference at Georgetown and now has appeared in 67 games with the Wild Things entering their series opener Friday night against Schaumburg. It’s the final series of the regular season.
Before this year, Peek had never played more than 67 games in a year.
Don’t let the fact Peek is counting how many games he has played indicate that he’s getting tired. Judging by his recent surge at the plate, it can be said that the Sudbury, Mass., native is peaking at the right time.
Peek has raised his batting average to .294 and with multiple hits in five of his last six games and seven of the last 10. He drove in two runs in Washington’s division-clinching win over Gateway on Wednesday.
Has also has eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, 36 RBI and has drawn eight more walks than he has strikeouts. He also has stolen 13 bases. He drew two more walks Thursday night against Gateway but they won’t show up in the statistics because that contest was rained out and canceled before it became an official game.
Peek’s performance has been a big reason why Washington has won seven of its last eight games. He has given the Wild Things an extra impact bat in what was already an impact lineup.
“Before this year, I might have had about 100 at-bats hitting with wood in any year,” Peek pointed out. “It’s a little bit of an adjustment. You can’t get away with as much as you can with aluminum. The first half of the season was an adjustment for me.”
Washington manager Tom Vaeth says that’s part of the learning curve for a rookie in pro ball.
“Wood is less forgiving,” he said. “You have to use a lot more strength with wood. And Connor is a strong kid.”
Peek’s path to pro ball started near his hometown when he played four years of college baseball at Holy Cross. He missed all of the 2024 season, the result of a broken hamate bone suffered in the South Florida Collegiate League the previous summer.
In 2025, Peek had a breakout year for Holy Cross, hitting .331. Armed with a degree in psychology and an extra year of eligibility, Peek transferred to Georgetown and batted .355 this spring.
“I was hoping to get drafted, and when I became aware that I wasn’t going to be, I talked to my coach and said I wanted to keep playing and developing,” Peek said.
That meant Peek was open to giving independent ball a try. And that was about the time that Washington lost infielder Graham Brown to the Minnesota Twins organization. The Wild Things were in immediate need of a player like Peek, who can play three infield positions.
One of the coaches at Georgetown knew former Wild Things general manager Tony Buccilli – who now has the same job with the Evansville Otters – and contacted Washington, recommending Peek.
“We had a need in the infield,” Vaeth said. “Tony brought me (Peek’s) information and his video looked OK. I liked his swing and really liked his defense. The plays I saw him make at all three infield positions were a big selling point for me.
“He has played a good amount for what was supposed to be a bench role. That’s a testament to him. He keeps himself in good shape.”
Peek didn’t have much time to make the adjustment from aluminum bats to wood, or to recharge his body after a long college season.
“I was here less than a week after playing 56 games at Georgetown,” Peek said. “I had five days off and now I’ve played almost double what I had played in college.
“I figured I missed all that time (in 2024) and I still had a lot to develop and work on, so playing independent ball was best for me. I’d be playing against guys who have been doing this a long time. I love baseball to the point that I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I wasn’t playing.”