Pirates A to Z: Liover Peguero's major league debut was but a cameo but an important one

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z: An alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Miguel Andujar to pitcher Miguel Yajure.

Player: Liover Peguero

Position: Shortstop

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Age: 21 (Dec. 31)

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 200 pounds

2022 MLB statistics: Batted .333 (1 for 3) with a single, a walk and two strikeouts in one game.

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration.

Acquired: From the Arizona Diamondbacks, along with pitcher Brennan Malone, in a trade for outfielder Starling Marte in January 2020.

This past season: When Peguero made the jump to Double-A Altoona, Curve manager Kieran Mattison saw signs of maturation.

“Just as a human being,” Mattison said. “Going from 20 to 21 is a big age difference. His body filled out a little bit more like, ‘Wow, he’s a grown man now.’ He takes the things he learned and really tries to apply them as much as possible. He pays attention to details. His conversations are a little bit more precise; it’s not vague about situations. He’s always trying to learn from the older guys and veteran guys. And he doesn’t forget anything. He remembers everything and tries to apply it.”

That Peguero arrived in Pittsburgh before Oneil Cruz was a stunner, even if his major league debut was but a cameo.

The Pirates needed an emergency replacement for infielder/outfielder Tucupita Marcano, who went on the covid-19 injured list, so they turned to the nearest affiliate and promoted Peguero from Double-A Altoona.

Peguero was batting .292/.315/.469 with 17 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 33 RBIs in 54 games at Altoona, and led the Eastern League in at-bats (226), ranked second in hits (66), was tied for second in doubles and triples and seventh in batting average.

Even so, Peguero couldn’t believe his ears.

“I was really scared, to be honest. I’m not gonna lie. I didn’t know what he was going to tell me,” Peguero said. “Kieran Mattison was telling me, ‘You’re going to Pittsburgh.’ I was like, ‘Man, don’t play with my life like that. You’re playing with my heart.’ He goes, ‘Well, I’m not playing.’ I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, 100%.’ I just grabbed my stuff and came here. Like I said, I just blinked once and I was here. I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’”

Pirates shortstop Liover Peguero talks about his whirlwind day, where he took BP in Altoona and joined the Pirates in time for the first pitch at PNC Park. pic.twitter.com/cOtKP62IdT

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 18, 2022

Peguero grabbed his glove and hit the highway to make the two-hour drive to PNC Park. He watched the Pirates lose to the San Francisco Giants, 2-0, still in disbelief that he had made it to the majors at 21.

“I still can’t believe this,” Peguero said. “To be honest, at first I didn’t even believe that I was gonna be here. And then it was like I just blinked once and I was already here, so it’s kind of crazy.”

Peguero went 1 for 3 with a single and a walk while striking out twice in a 7-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants on June 18. Mattison’s assessment of Peguero was right on the mark. Even in his major league debut, Peguero showed that he was a quick learner.

Alex Wood struck out Peguero on three pitches in his first at-bat, as Peguero went down swinging at a sinker. The next time up, Peguero hit a 1-0 sinker to right field for a single, his first major league hit. Tyler Heineman followed by grounding into a 6-4-3 double play.

Liover Peguero delivers his 1st Major League hit!

The @Pirates number 5 Prospect, According to @MLBPipeline, is due up 4th as we go to the bottom of the 6th - NOW on AT&T SportsNet! pic.twitter.com/mpt6byXBld

— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) June 18, 2022

Tyler Rogers got Peguero looking at a slider for a called third strike in the seventh inning, but Peguero took a full-count slider to draw a walk the next inning and load the bases with the Pirates trailing 6-5. Heineman popped up to first to end the inning.

“I was really excited to see my dream come true. It was a very amazing thing to experience,” Peguero said. “I was nervous at first when I got the news, but thank goodness I had a good time over there. I feel like I handled it pretty well.”

Pirates shortstop Liover Peguero talks about making his major league debut Saturday against the Giants and drawing a two-out walk to load the bases in the eighth inning. pic.twitter.com/bwOdbRQ5nB

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 19, 2022

Shelton called it a “good debut,” noting the at-bat in the eighth “was a major league at-bat.” Nonetheless, the Pirates recalled Cruz from Triple-A Indianapolis the next day and sent Peguero back to Altoona. That was their plan all along, as this was an important development year for one of their top-five prospects.

“I think the big thing, we were pretty transparent,” Shelton said. “Peggy was in Altoona and we needed a body and we got him here. It’s always good in saying that, though: That we got him to see what the big league game was. And we talked a lot, especially over the past three weeks, about how fast the big league game is.

“Anytime we can get a young player to experience that and then when we send him back to be able to challenge him to try to play at that speed, it’s really important. In Peggy’s case. He got a start. He got his first base hit. He drew a walk in a big situation off a leverage reliever on a really good team. There were a lot of really things that were positive. The challenge we have for him was to go back to Altoona and try and work on those things, because this is a really important year for him.”

Liover Peguero is one of my favorite prospects in the system. Kid can play. Martin with a great pick here too. #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/QSc2EMezFH

— Locked On Pirates (@LockedOnPirates) March 22, 2022

The future: Pirates general manager Ben Cherington called Peguero a “bright part of our future” and “an important player for the long term.”

Ranked their No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 5 by Baseball America, he’s regarded a top-100 prospect by both outlets. Scouts like how hard he hits the ball and his athleticism in the field, as he proved he could play on either side of the bag in the middle infield. His future position could depend on how Cruz and Rodolfo Castro fare in their shots as starters this season.

The Pirates like how Peguero plays the game.

“That’s one of the things I’m really proud about, like really aggressive,” Peguero said. “I’m just always trying to keep things simple, just focus on the things that I can control.”

Peguero put up solid if unspectacular numbers in Double-A, slashing .259/.305/.387 with 22 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs and 58 RBIs in 121 games. He had 111 strikeouts against 29 walks, however, and his aggressive approach can be a double-edged sword.

The Pirates love the positive energy Peguero brings to the clubhouse and the bond he’s formed with double-play partner Nick Gonzales, a 2020 first-round pick and top-five prospect. Both are expected to play at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, a step away from the Pirates.

Getting a taste of the major leagues only made Peguero want more.

“I think it’s going to be a long way, but it’s so amazing and so important right now having a first time for everything,” Peguero said. “I think we’re going to have a lot of good times.”