Chicago selected the righthander in Round 9 (No. 269) of the 2023 MLB Draft. He played three strong seasons of Division I baseball for Jacksonville State, splitting time as a starter and a reliever. Post-draft, the Sox assigned Peppers to the ACL, where he saw action in four games and held hitters to an impressive .227 batting average over 5 2/3 innings.

The 22-year-old started 2024 with Single-A Kannapolis and spent the entire year with the Cannon Ballers. It was Peppers’ first full season of professional ball, and he was an essential part of a successful Ballers’ rotation. All of his 22 appearances came as a starter, and he earned himself a respectable 7-6 record with a 4.27 ERA and above-average 8.0 K/9 over 97 frames. In his last start of the season, Peppers struck out an impressive seven batters and secured the victory in the CBs 14-2 stomping of the Salem Red Sox.

The righty proved to be a durable and dependable arm in a memorable year for both Peppers and Kannapolis, helping to lead them to a playoff spot in the Carolina League South Division Championship. One of his most notable starts of the season came in Game 2 of the Division Series when he tossed five innings, surrendered no runs, and gave up only four hits with one walk and five Ks. Congratulations to Jake on a great start to his career, and we wish him many successful seasons in the years to come!

2024 Sox Populi White Sox Minor League All-Star Team
Ronny Hernandez (C)
Edgar Quero (C) (Player of the Year)
Caden Connor (1B)
Tim Elko (1B)
Ryan Galanie (1B)
Shawn Goosenberg (1B)
Wilmer Difo (2B)
Brooks Baldwin (SS)
Javier Mogollón (SS)
Zach DeLoach (LF)
Mark Payton (LF)
Mason Adams (RHSP)
Aldrin Batista (RHSP)
Jake Peppers (RHSP)
Ky Bush (LHSP)
Lucas Gordon (LHSP)
Noah Schultz (LHSP) (Pitcher of the Year)
Drew Thorpe (RHSP)
Eric Adler (RHRP)
Adisyn Coffey (RHRP)
Bryce Collins (RHRP)
Aaron McGarity (RHRP)

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Jake Peppers Photo/Jake Peppers Instagram