He possesses a tremendous hitting tool, strong arm, and progressively growing power.
Shortstop Liover Peguero is one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top prospects. He’s a consensus top 100 prospect who has risen since Ben Cherington acquired him in the Starling Marte trade two years ago.
Peguero batted last season. With a.338 wOBA and 108 wRC+, he hit 270/.332/.444. I understand that the figures won’t pop off the paper at first glance. There are a few things to keep in mind.
For starters, he was around three years younger than the typical High-A pitcher. This was his age-20 season, and he had less than 100 plate appearances above Rookie-Ball entering 2021.
Two, his strength continued to improve. He hit 14 home runs and had a career-high isolated slugging percentage of .174.
In the second half of the season, he also caught fire. Peguero hit .302/.359/.509 with a.374 wOBA and 130 wRC+ from July 25th to the end of the season.
Peguero’s power rose throughout the season, with a.209 ISO towards the end of it. He also posted a respectable 8.2 percent walk rate, despite a 25.3 percent strikeout rate.
The best tool in Peguero’s arsenal is his hit tool. It’s a 60-grade weapon, according to FanGraphs. Meanwhile, his run, fielding, and arm are all projected to receive 55s.
Peguero’s primary flaw is his lack of power, but it isn’t a major worry. He’s demonstrated a great deal of raw strength. He was hitting the ball with authority in 2019, his age-18 season.
Before he was 20, Peguero had a 90 MPH exit velocity and a 42% hard-hit rate. Both would be better than the big league average.
Furthermore, with his increased power production in 2021, his power should be at least average or better going ahead.