Is Liover Peguero Good?

Liover Peguero

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.

liover peguero
liover peguero

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.

 

 

 

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