Pirates No. 4 prospect Liover Peguero named High-A East Player of the Week

On the heels of a powerful week, Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Liover Peguero was named the High-A East Player of the Week by Minor League Baseball earlier today.

Peguero, 20, came to the Pirates as part of the Starling Marte trade in 2019, along with right-handed pitcher Brennan Malone, and is ranked as the Pirates’ fourth-best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He is the first Greensboro Grasshoppers player to earn Player of the Week honors, and is the third player within the Pirates organization to earn Player of the Week honors since Claudio Finol (FCL Pirates-Gold) earned the title in the Florida Complex League during the week of June 28 to July 4. Eddy Yean was the third player who earned honors in Low-A Bradenton during the week of June 21 to June 27.

Peguero hit the aforementioned five home runs in a four-game span, and played a pivotal role in the Greensboro Grasshoppers’ success during the I-40 rivalry against the Winston-Salem Dash. In the 10 both teams played against each other this season, Peguero went 16-for-44 with six home runs.

He also hit safely in each of the 10 games.

This season, the 20-year-old prospect managed to get his batting average up to .266 despite missing time in the beginning of the 2021 season with a bruised knee. He’s also showcased his power and speed by slugging 11 home runs and 11 doubles, while swiping 17 bases on 20 attempts.

“He tries to fire up the other guys. That’s Peggy. He loves the game. You’re supposed to have fun, you know? And Peggy is a joy to be around.” - Grasshoppers manager Kieran Mattison on Liover Peguero’s contributions against the Dash.

The Grasshoppers (49-29) currently sit in second place in the High-A East South division, just six games back of the Bowling Green Hot Rods. After an off day today, they will start a six-game series against the Hickory Crawdads tomorrow night.