Carlos Peguero Stats & Scouting Report

AB	20
AVG	.3
OBP	.391
SLG	.4
HR	0

Full name Carlos Angel Peguero
Born 02/22/1987 in Hondo Valle, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 260 / Bats: L / Throws: L
Debut 04/19/2011

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Peguero always has had big power and even bigger strikeout rates. He got off to a blistering start in 2010, hitting nine home runs in April, but he didn't adjust after pitchers altered their approach. Over the final four months, he batted just .227/.317/.399. He led all of Double-A with 178 strikeouts this season, and only two minor leaguers had more whiffs. Peguero chases bad pitches, which gets him frustrated, so he'll compound his problems by swinging harder in his next at-bat. He doesn't recognize breaking balls well and always will strike out a lot. However, scouts believe he has closed some holes in his swing and is hitting balls harder when he does make contact. He also struggles against lefthanders, and his offensive weaknesses will limit him to being a platoon player at best. Peguero is a freakish athlete for a 6-foot-5, 247-pounder, surprisingly possessing plus speed. He did a nice job last season of sharpening up his routes in the outfield and he could be an average defender on an outfield corner. His above-average arm plays well in right field. Peguero presents an interesting package of tools, but his shortcomings are just as glaring. Added to the 40-man roster in November, he'll move up to Triple-A in 2011.
Peguero seemed poised for a huge power year in 2008, but it never materialized. Despite playing in the hitterhappy California League, he slugged .480 and hit 12 homers, just three more than he hit in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League in 2007. Still, Peguero's raw strength (the best in the system), physicality (he's 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds) and past performance suggest he has more power in him. After all, he led the Arizona League in slugging (.649) in 2006 and managed an above-average .465 mark in the MWL the following year. Poor pitch recognition stands in Peguero's way for now, as he likes to swing at the first pitch he can handle, often getting himself out. Pitchers have little reason to feed him pitches in the zone because he has averaged nearly seven strikeouts for every walk during his three seasons in the United States. Though the caveat that he did it in the Cal League applies, he did show an improved feel for hitting last season, batting a career-high .299. A solid athlete for his size, Peguero is a good runner underway, though he's strictly a left fielder in terms of range. His arm is average. His season ended in mid-July with surgery on his left wrist, one year after he was slowed by bone chips in his left elbow. The Mariners still believe Peguero has impact potential as a power hitter, but it's going to take him a few years to deliver. Step one will be improving his command of the strike zone as he repeats high Class A in 2009.
Peguero led the Rookie-level Arizona League in slugging (.649) and tied two other Mariners farmhands for the home run crown (seven) in 2006. And he accomplished it even after moving to short-season Everett with a month left in the season. At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Peguero has the power to match anyone in the system, and he slugged a well-above-average .465 in the tough Midwest League in 2007. He can lift and drive any ball he can reach, and his swing, though long, can be pretty at times. Peguero's not entirely a one-dimensional masher, though. He's an above-average runner for his size (he has covered 60 yards in 6.6 seconds) and he has an above-average right-fielder's arm--though he spent most of his time at DH with Wisconsin while he recovered from surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. Peguero doesn't have much of a plan at the plate yet, and he's got a lot of work to do cleaning up his reads and routes in the outfield, but his huge lefty power alone makes him a potential impact hitter. He'll see time with high Class A High Desert in 2008, where the California League's favorable conditions should bring Peguero's power to the fore.
Three Mariners farmhands shared the Arizona League home run title last summer: first baseman/outfielder Gerardo Avila, outfielder Welington Dotel and Peguero. Peguero, who also led the league in slugging percentage, tied them even though he moved up to Everett for the final month. He has plenty of strength in his 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame, but he's more than just a masher. He uses the whole field and shows some aptitude for hitting for average as well as power. One club official compared his swing to Fred McGriff's. Peguero is a good athlete and he has above-average speed, though he'll slow down as he gets older and fills out. He has a plus arm as well and should be able to stick in right field. Still raw overall, Peguero's control of the strike zone is rudimentary, and he struggled against better quality pitching in the Northwest League. He also needs to hone his baserunning and defensive instincts. Peguero will be a regular in low Class A this year at age 20.

Minor League Top Prospects

Peguero teamed with Avila to give the Mariners a 1-2 punch unrivaled in the league. They tied with teammate Wellington Dotel for the home run lead with seven, and Peguero's .649 slugging percentage easily topped the AZL. He didn't fare as well after a promotion to short-season Everett, however, where his inexperience with breaking balls and somewhat long swing were exposed. Peguero has a big, projectable frame at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds and moves well for a big man, though he figures to slow down as he fills out. He showed more ability and willingness to use the whole field than Avila did, but he doesn't have quite as much raw power. Peguero's outfield arm is another plus tool.