Pirates A to Z: Liover Peguero's performance matched his personality at High-A Greensboro

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z: An alphabetical player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, with the final week focusing on players added after the season ended.

Player: Liover Peguero

Position: Shortstop

Throws: Right

Bats: Right

Age: 20

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 200 pounds

2021 MLB statistics: Peguero batted .270/.332/.444 with 19 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs and 45 RBIs in 95 games at High-A Greensboro.

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration.

Acquired: In a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks, along with Brennan Malone, for Starling Marte in January 2020.

This past season: Peguero’s arrival to spring training was delayed by visa issues, so he played in only nine Grapefruit League games.

Ranked the Pirates’ No. 5 prospect and a a top-100 prospect by both Baseball America (No. 77) and MLB Pipeline (No. 85), Peguero slashed .333/.385/.500 with two doubles and two RBIs in that time and impressed with both his personality and his play.

The highlight came against the Baltimore Orioles, when he started at shortstop and went 2 for 3 with an RBI double to score Tony Wolters and a game-tying line drive for a single to score Brian Goodwin in the 10-9 loss on March 25.

“I was just trying to be me, just try to be Liover,” Peguero said. “Be out there, having fun and not think a lot. I was just trying to be myself, try to put the ball in play and not try to do too much. It was good. I’m not going to lie. It feels really good.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton couldn’t help but notice Peguero’s “unbelievable personality” from the first time they met, at the instructional league in the fall of 2020. Shelton called Peguero’s at-bats “the highlight” of a game in which the Pirates pounded out 16 hits.

“That was so fun to watch,” Shelton said. “It’s so fun to watch him be on the field. It’s fun to watch him interact. We had a situation earlier in the spring with him and (Nick) Gonzales in the middle, and just watching them interact with each other and communicate with each other — I mean, this kid’s 20, and when he gets on the field, he’s running what’s going on on the infield.”

The story of Nick Gonzales and Liover Peguero:

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— Jake Crouse (@JakeCrouseMLB) August 21, 2021

The Pirates are grooming Peguero and Gonzales, their first-round pick in 2020, to be the double-play tandem of the future. The pair shined this past season for High-A Greensboro, bonding to the point that Grasshoppers manager Kieran Mattison laughed in recounting how they showed up to the ballpark dressed alike in cowboy hats and boots.

“It’s been fun to be around them,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “Obviously, they’re talented young players who still are working hard and developing. What I enjoy most about both of those guys is they really love to be out there playing and practicing and getting better. They bring a ton of energy.

“Very different personalities — Peggy is a little more open and outgoing, his sense of humor and his English is just incredible for a kid his age from the Dominican; Nick is a little quieter — but they have an equal amount of energy and enthusiasm for getting better and being on a baseball field.”

Liover Peguero had 2 no doubters last night! pic.twitter.com/0CN3kOkRwe

— Greensboro Grasshoppers (@GSOHoppers) June 27, 2021

Where Gonzales was a High-A East All-Star, Peguero flashed acrobatics and a great glove while hitting .270 with a .776 OPS, 14 homers and 45 RBIs. Peguero was named High-A player of the week for Aug. 1, after going 12 for 30 (.400) with five home runs, including two in one game, 12 RBIs and nine runs scored in a seven-game stretch.

“I love watching him out there,” Gonzales said. “He does bring the energy. Every practice, he’s the same way — even if it’s 8 a.m. or 2 p.m., he’s the same guy. That’s what’s huge for me. I love seeing that. It helps me a ton. It’s just been a blast.”

The Pirates added Peguero, who signed with Arizona out of the Dominican Republic for $475,000 as a 17-year-old in 2017, to their 40-man roster on Nov. 19 to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

2020 was an unprecedented year to say the least, especially for @BrennanRMalone and Liover Peguero. pic.twitter.com/FlzaqwThq0

— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) December 23, 2020

The future: Peguero, who turns 21 on Dec. 31, is the youngest player on the Pirates’ 40-man roster but is likely to start the 2022 season at Double-A Altoona. Cherington has shown that the Pirates are no longer shy about promoting players through the system quickly, as evidenced by Rodolfo Castro making the jump from Double-A to the majors.

With Kevin Newman signed for $1.95 million next season, the Pirates are in no hurry to rush their top prospects. That puts Peguero on a timeline to reach the majors sometime around 2023, although he could debut sooner.

Peguero can’t help but imagine playing shortstop at PNC Park between Gonzales at second base and Ke’Bryan Hayes at third. Peguero and Hayes even discussed their future infield together last March.

“(Hayes) was just like, ‘Be patient. I’m gonna be right here waiting for you.’ That makes me feel so happy,” Peguero said. “I’m just trying to get ready and be prepared all the time. Just be ready to go and do my thing and be myself.”