SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Whether it’s in the bullpen or an exhibition game, there’s one question that comes to mind when watching Joel Peguero pitch.
Why is he in Giants camp as a non-roster invitee?
The 27-year-old stunned coaches by hitting 101 mph in his first bullpen session last month, which led to a few extra teammates filtering over for every subsequent session. In the Cactus League opener, Peguero started out in the 94-to-96-mph range, and for a moment it seemed like those bullpen sessions were outliers. And then Peguero settled in, reaching 101.7 mph by the end of his outing. He hasn’t slowed down at all over the past month; on Monday, he hit triple-digits five times.
The velocity is not the only reason Peguero is so intriguing, though. The Giants post a strike-throwing leaderboard on clubhouse TVs and Peguero was the leader through the weekend. Through eight appearances, he has yet to allow a run and has eight strikeouts to one walk.
All of that leads to that question again. In every way, Peguero has looked like someone who should have been locked into a big-league bullpen by now, but he’s in Giants camp hoping to win a job, and pushing for what would be his MLB debut. The Giants aren’t quite sure why that’s the case, but they sure are thrilled that Peguero is wearing their colors.
“I think he has made as much of an impression as anybody in camp,” manager Bob Melvin said. “At first you’re watching bullpens and he’s throwing 101 in the bullpen, and then he comes out and he’s doing the same thing in games. You wonder why this guy hasn’t been in the big leagues at some point in time.”
The fascinating thing about Peguero is that he’s not even coming off a season in which he was on the verge of a debut. He first reached Triple-A in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Rays and pitched at the highest minor-league level with the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals the next two seasons, but all of 2024 was spent in Double-A with the Detroit Tigers.
Peguero had a 3.14 ERA last year, with 56 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings. He has at times run high walk rates in the minors, but it was just three walks per nine innings last season. He struck out more than a batter per inning, but in the minors, the strikeout rates have not matched the raw stuff the Giants have seen this spring.
The Giants brought Peguero in this spring as a minor-league free agent, which they had hoped to do years earlier. Latin American development coordinator Hector Borg has coached Peguero in the Dominican Winter League and first recommended him to superiors when Peguero was with the Rays. Current general manager Zack Minasian kept a close eye on him last season, noting that his velocity ticked up every month and he started throwing more strikes with a slider that has reached 93 mph this spring. The Giants made Peguero a priority as they put together their non-roster list, and that mattered to the hard-throwing right-hander, who had several opportunities to be in a big league camp.
“Their interest was different,” Peguero said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “There was something about that interest that I just decided that the Giants are the best fit. It was a little bit more secure and there was more opportunity here.”
When asked about finally taking the big step to the big leagues, Peguero said the key will be consistency. That has been missing at times as a professional, but this spring he has focused on pounding the strike zone. When you’re doing that and sitting in triple digits, you’re going to draw a lot of eyeballs, and Peguero said there might be more in the tank. He’s been up to 103 mph in the minors.
The Giants have seen enough to know they might have added a special arm to their bullpen mix, although Peguero might have to wait a bit longer for that debut. There’s a big crowd fighting for the final spots in the bullpen, and most involved have thrown well. Peguero does not have an opt-out in his minor-league deal, so he could begin the season in Triple-A.
“We’ll see where we go with that,” Melvin said. “But at some point in time, if he continues to pitch like this, he’s going to be in the big leagues with us.”
If he gets there this year with the Giants, it’ll make all the sense in the world to those who have watched him throw this spring, and those who have been eyeing him for years. Borg said Peguero’s arm is matched by his work ethic and makeup, and he’s hopeful that it’s finally his time.
“Sometimes some players are different and take different routes to make it to the big leagues,” Borg said. “Sometimes it takes a little longer to make it to The Show. I think he’s on the right track right now. He made an adjustment and is throwing strikes, and his arm is special.”
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