Elvis Peguero slipped away eight years ago, but he's a Brewer now and everyone's thrilled
Had things broken just a little bit differently, Elvis Peguero would have joined the Milwaukee Brewers organization all the way back in 2015.
José Peña, manager of the Brewers’ entry in the Dominican Summer League at the time, was the first with a line on the then-18-year-old from Cotui, Dominican Republic.
“What I remember is he told me he had a friend that had this kid who started to play baseball and had a pretty good arm,” recalled Eduardo Brizuela, now the Brewers’ vice president and special assistant to the general manager/baseball operations. He was the team’s director of Latin American operations and scouting at the time.
“So, we brought him over to the complex and saw him throw some bullpens and really liked what he had. At that point he was upper 80s, touching 90-91. We decided to keep him at the complex for close to 30 days.”
The Brewers were convinced they had located a diamond in the rough and offered the right-hander $10,000 to sign as an international free agent. Peguero himself thought it was a done deal, too.
“I actually already had Brewers gear and everything,” recounted Peguero recently.
It was then that the New York Yankees swooped in and blew the Brewers’ offer out of the water.
The Yankees paid more to sign Peguero than the Brewers could
“At that time, we only had $10,000 available, so that’s what we offered him,” said Brizuela.
Neither Peguero nor Brizuela could remember the exact amount the Yankees got Peguero for, but the best guess is between $50,000 and $75,000.
“We were very aggressive offering the money that we had available, but we just couldn’t do it,” said Brizuela. “He got lucky that he was offered more money by the Yankees.”
A 4½-year stint in the Yankees organization followed for Peguero, who rose as high as the Class AAA level before being traded along with Janson Junk to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for left-hander Andrew Heaney at the 2021 deadline.
Peguero debuted in the majors with the Angels in August of that year and then bounced back and forth between the minors and the Angels in a couple nondescript relief stints in 2022 before he was again on the move.
This time it was to the Brewers, along with Junk and minor-league lefty Adam Seminaris in exchange for Hunter Renfroe in an early offseason deal.
From Milwaukee’s perspective, it was an opportunity to add pitching depth to the upper edges of the organization.
From Peguero’s perspective, it was a second chance to pitch for the team that had discovered him.
The Brewers were on the top of Peguero's list all along
“I always saw the Brewers as my top choice, and I saw them as somewhere I could get an opportunity and who would help me improve,” said Peguero, who learned of the trade while pitching in the Dominican Winter League. “They’ve always been at the top of my list even before this year, so I was really excited when I found out I was coming here.”
Junk was initially the biggest name on the Brewers’ side of the deal and the first to impact the major-league team when he made a spot start for the injured Brandon Woodruff on April 12.
Four days later it would be Peguero who got the call as he was promoted from Class AAA Nashville to the Brewers, who had a bullpen vacancy after Gus Varland was sent to the IL.
He’s developed into one of Milwaukee’s most indispensable relievers in the three months since.
And with Peguero pitching the seventh inning and Joel Payamps, another under-the-radar offseason acquisition, pitching the eighth ahead of closer Devin Williams, the Brewers have been able to count on victory if they have the lead after six.
Peguero quickly earned his spot in the Brewers bullpen
“Every team goes into the season knowing that you have to have players step up,” said manager Craig Counsell. “Elvis was not on the opening-day roster; I think we all liked what we saw in spring training. But probably because he had options at that point didn’t make the opening-day roster. He got better in spring training, and I think he’s gotten better as the season’s gone on.
“I think he’s clearly gained a lot of confidence as the season has gone on and he’s, I’d argue, throwing the ball as well as any reliever in the National League.”
Peguero’s ascension in Milwaukee’s bullpen pecking order happened quickly.
By early last month he was already seeing regular action in high-leverage situations, with his first victory coming after he pitched a scoreless 10th inning at Cincinnati on June 2 and his first save coming after a scoreless 10th at Cleveland on June 25.
Since that game against the Guardians, Peguero has registered holds in eight of 10 appearances to bump his season total to 14, which ranked seventh in the National League entering play on Thursday.
Overall, Peguero was 1-2 with a 2.84 earned run average and WHIP of 1.11. He was limiting opposing batters to a collective .206 average and had 34 strikeouts in 38 innings.
A look at Peguero's percentile rankings on Baseball Savant underscores his effectiveness; he ranked in the 68th percentile or better in the majors in 10 of 13 pitching categories and in the 88th percentile or better in five.
At the top of the list has been his ability to avoid barrels (99th percentile), and he's also generating ground balls 50% of the time.
Peguero's sinker has its own name: The bowling ball
"I'm proud of him," said Freddy Peralta. "He's been listening to people, been pitching important innings and he's been taking little parts of us. He's been great.
"In the beginning of the season I told him, 'Hey, man, you don't know what kind of sinker you have. It's too good. It's too nasty, and you have to use it.' He's been learning about it and trying to find the right spots to use it.
"It makes us feel good when you have somebody who's doing great, pitching important innings and listening to us."
Indeed, Peguero's sinker – averaging 95.8 mph – has been tremendous.
He pairs it with a slider he throws at nearly the same rate (50.2% to 49.8%) and gets 6 more inches of vertical drop on it against the average, which ranks seventh in the NL.
It's been so good it's earned its own classification: The bowling ball.
"That’s a pretty darned good sinker," Counsell said. "The slider’s really hard, and that’s a challenge for hitters as well."
It's a pitch that's always been in Peguero's arsenal but just continues to get better. His 6-foot-5 frame also results in 91st-percentile extension, allowing it to explode on hitters.
"It’s a very natural thing for me," said Peguero, whose mother wanted to name him Elvin before his father's choice of Elvis won out. "It’s just how I throw it. Sometimes guys ask me what I do with it. I just throw it. Between that and the slider, one goes one way and one goes the other way, so when both are going really good I have a chance at getting a lot of outs.
"I’ve lowered my arm a little more this year and it’s felt fine, thankfully. Sometimes when guys change arm angles they can have problems with their shoulders, but thankfully I haven’t. But I think that’s been a big part of it, lowering my arm slot a little bit and getting into my legs more.
"That’s giving me a lot more sink on it."
With the Brewers' success, Peguero has gained confidence
And then there's the confidence that comes along with performing at a high level on a Brewers team that's been on a roll the past few weeks.
"I definitely feel really, really good right now," Peguero said. "I think a big part of it is having confidence not only in myself, but also in my team. Being connected with everybody, having trust in the guy next to you, when you have that in here in the clubhouse and then you go out there, it shows. You don’t have to worry about the little things; just worry about what you can do.
"When I have the ball in my hand I’m in control of the game and that’s why I say I feel like I’m the best at the moment.
"Just letting it happen out there."
And letting it happen with the Brewers, who are finally being repaid for their initial diligence in 2015.
"Small world. He ends up being a Brewer and having one of his best years with us," said Brizuela. "Pretty cool."
THANK YOU: Subscribers' support makes this work possible. Help us share the knowledge by buying a gift subscription.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Elvis Peguero thriving with Milwaukee Brewers after eight-year wait
