SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- From the moment he threw his first bullpen session at Scottsdale Stadium, Joel Peguero has been the talk of Giants camp.
The 27-year-old right-hander was a relative unknown after joining the Giants on a Minor League deal over the offseason, but he quickly turned heads after hitting 101 mph when he first touched the mound the spring.
“That was crazy,” right-hander Keaton Winn said. “I was throwing my bullpen, and I could hear it. I was like, ‘What’s going on down there?’ He was two down from me. Everyone was talking about it.”
The buzz only continued to build once Peguero showed that he could continue to light up the radar gun during Cactus League play. He’s topped out at 102 mph so far this spring and hasn’t allowed a run over his first eight exhibition outings, racking up eight strikeouts and issuing only one walk over 6 2/3 innings.
That dominance made him the easy choice for the 2025 Barney Nugent Award, which is presented annually to the player who excels the most in his first big league camp with the Giants. Peguero is the first Giants pitcher to win the prize since right-hander Dan Otero in 2012, making him a serious candidate to earn a spot in the club’s Opening Day bullpen this year.
“It’s a great feeling,” Peguero said Wednesday in Spanish. “Obviously winning this award, especially in my first year in the organization, makes me feel very proud.”
Peguero came up with the Rays organization and climbed all the way to Triple-A Durham in 2021, but he never broke into the Majors and ended up being dealt to Colorado the following year. He pitched at Triple-A for the Rockies and Nationals organizations over the next two seasons, but he spent the entire 2024 campaign at the Tigers’ Double-A affiliate in Erie, where he recorded a 3.14 ERA over 43 relief appearances.
Still, Giants officials and players who have seen Peguero perform in camp this spring can’t believe that he’s still waiting for his first shot to pitch in the big leagues.
“It’s probably the easiest 100 mph I’ve ever seen in my life,” left-hander Erik Miller said. “And it’s extremely impressive that he’s pounding the zone so far. Most guys that throw hard, that’s obviously usually a problem. I’m sure many people are wondering, ‘What the hell were the other four teams thinking letting this guy go?’ I don’t know if maybe he’s found something that’s clicked, but it’s impressive, to say the least, in person.”
Peguero said he’s always been able to throw hard, but he feels he’s been a bit more consistent with his velocity this spring. He showed he could maintain his high-octane stuff while pitching on back-to-back days on Monday and Tuesday, making him an intriguing option to join key cogs like Ryan Walker, Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, Sean Hjelle and Miller in the Giants’ relief corps this year.
“We’re certainly not ruling him out,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We’ll see where it goes from here. We have some other guys pitching well, too. We’ll see where it goes. But it’s always nice to kind of add a name, especially with what he features on the mound, to the mix. It’s a credit to him for not only opening some eyes but continuing to do it.”
Randy Rodríguez, Spencer Bivens and non-roster invitees Lou Trivino and Joey Lucchesi are also in the mix to round out San Francisco’s bullpen, so it’s unclear if Peguero will end up cracking the Opening Day roster or heading to Triple-A Sacramento to start the season. Either way, he feels he’s making a strong case to finally earn his long-awaited callup at some point in 2025.
“I’ve played for several years with several different teams,” Peguero said. “There have been times when I thought I was close to the big leagues. I feel like this year, with the performance I’ve had, plus the organization, I think I could potentially make my debut. I think good things will come with the performance I’ve had.”