This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado's Giants Beat newsletter. Andrés Soto pinch-hit on this edition. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
After Joel Peguero got the news that he was headed to the big leagues, he took a moment to just lay on his bed. It was there that it dawned on him.
The Giants were calling Peguero up to make his debut on Aug. 21 -- 10 years to the day that he signed his first pro contract with the Rays as an 18-year-old international free agent in 2015.
“It was something so beautiful,” he said in Spanish. “To realize my dream for the first time as a professional ballplayer, and then to debut on the same day that I realized that dream. It’s really special.”
Peguero still remembers the day he signed that first contract in the Dominican Republic a decade ago. The happiness he felt. The emotions of his family by his side as he put pen to paper. The pride he took in achieving what he had wanted to be since childhood: a professional baseball player.
But chasing your dream is rarely linear, as Peguero soon came to find out. He rose through the ranks within the Rays organization over the years, reaching Triple-A Durham in 2021 before he was traded to the Rockies a year later.
He signed a Minor League contract with the Nationals the following offseason, where he began with their Triple-A affiliate but was sent down to Double-A Harrisburg after posting an 8.02 ERA in his first 15 appearances. Peguero finished out the 2023 season in Harrisburg with significantly better numbers, carrying a 2.15 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP over 29 1/3 innings.
Peguero spent all of 2024 with the Tigers' Double-A affiliate in Erie before signing a Minor League contract with the Giants last November.
“It’s tough,” Giants pitcher Tristan Beck said of the Minor League grind. “There’s all sorts of reasons that journeys can take a little longer, that your path through the Minors can be a little bit more rocky.”
Injuries, trades, demotions, promotions. They all add up.
“Just taking all that in stride,” Beck said.
And though Peguero never doubted himself or his abilities, a decade of feeling like you’ve hit a wall has its way of taking a toll on someone.
“God gave me the strength to keep moving forward,” Peguero said. “In those moments, a lot of negative thoughts come your way. But I kept my faith in God, I kept working and maintaining a positive mindset. … I knew He had a plan for me to get here.”
An opportunity presented itself when Peguero was invited to Spring Training, where he made an immediate impression on manager Bob Melvin with a fastball and sinker that both creep into triple digits.
For his part, Melvin was stunned that a pitcher with an arsenal like Peguero’s had yet to break into the big leagues.
“Pretty amazing that it actually has taken him this long,” Melvin said. “We saw him in Spring Training and we thought there was a chance he had to make the team out of spring.”
It didn’t go that way, and Peguero battled through a slow start to the season before missing almost a month with a knee injury. But he kept at it.
Peguero leaned on his faith and his family back home in the Dominican Republic. His mom, his wife, and his teammates all told him to stay the course.
“Don’t lose hope,” they would tell him. “Stay positive. Keep going. Your moment will come one day.”
That moment finally came in August, bringing Peguero’s 10-year odyssey full circle. It came at a perfect time for the Giants too, having just lost All-Star reliever Randy Rodríguez to the IL with a right elbow sprain, while lefty Erik Miller has been out since July 5 with a left elbow sprain. Miller was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room for Peguero’s callup.
Peguero made his Oracle Park debut Wednesday in his second Major League outing, pitching two perfect innings against the Cubs with three strikeouts. He pitched again in Saturday's 11-1 loss to the Orioles, striking out the lone batter he faced on seven pitches.
“It’s really good stuff,” Melvin said. “He’s throwing strikes and he’s getting ahead. … I think he’s gained a lot of confidence at the big league level. He knows he can pitch here.”
Peguero has learned a lot in his decade in the Minors, but one thing he always knew was that he could pitch here.
“You have to believe in your potential,” he said. “Regardless of the circumstances. You have to have faith in yourself, keep moving forward, and let God’s hand guide you.”