Tagged: Francisco Peguero
14 Days Till Opening Day
Two weeks away! There are 14 days until Opening Day, and Francisco Peguero helps bring us closer to the 7:05 pm against the Tacoma Rainiers at Chukchansi Park.
The outfielder made his Grizzlies debut in 2012, playing in 105 games for Fresno and batting .272/.297/.394 with 20 doubles, 10 triples, 5 home runs, and 68 RBI.
His 10 triples tied Nate Schierholtz for the second-most by a Grizzlies hitter for a single season in franchise history.
Peguero was pegged (yes, that was intentional) for another season in Triple-A to start Spring Training this year after the San Francisco Giants re-signed Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence and brought back Andres Torres after his one-year absence from the Giants organization.
Peguero, however, did not get the memo regarding the Giants’ outfield situation being all but decided. In 18 Spring Training games, Peguero is hitting .364 with 3 doubles, a triple, and 5 RBI. His .364 batting average only trails Brandon Belt for the highest clip on the Giants (min. 40 AB).
Peguero is competing with Cole Gillespie for the Giants’ fifth outfield spot. The Giants would probably not prefer to have Peguero sitting on their bench and possibly stunting his development, but sometimes roster decision-makers can’t argue with results.
Who’s Next – Top Prospects Ranked
MLB.com and Baseball America released their respective 2013 Top Prospect lists for the San Francisco Giants organizations.
The MLB.com version is for the Top 100 prospects in all of baseball. Two Giants cracked the list: RHP Kyle Crick at #86 and OF Gary Brown at #100. This is the first time Crick made the MLB.com list while Brown was #48 for the 2012 version.
Baseball America, meanwhile, has been rolling out their organizational top prospects for each farm system over the last few weeks. January 30th was the Giants’ turn. Beat writer Andy Baggarly filed this year’s list as he has done in years past.
Crick was the top choice for the Baseball America list. Brown was fourth. While Crick is not considered to appear in Triple-A this season, many project Brown to possibly start the season with Fresno or at least make a stop with the Grizzlies some time in 2013.
Brown played all of 2012 with Double-A Richmond. He struggled early on with the Flying Squirrels, hitting .227 through his first 23 games, but he rebounded with a strong May and June to finish with a .279 batting average. He also played in the Arizona Fall League this offseason.
Three Fresno Grizzlies from 2012 were in the Top 10 Prospect List: Heath Hembree (#7), Francisco Peguero (#8), and Roger Kieschnick (#9).
Hembree is coming off his first pro season at Triple-A. He tied for the team lead with the Grizzlies in saves with 15 despite missing a month-and-a-half with an arm injury. Before he went on the disabled list, Hembree was elected to the PCL mid-season All-Star team.
Peguero parlayed his first Triple-A season into his Major League debut last August. Peguero had a team-best 10 triples for Fresno last season, which are tied for the second-most ever by a Grizzlies hitter in a single season. The outfielder made his big league debut on August 25th and played in a total of 17 games for the Giants.
Peguero was rated as having the best outfield arm in the Giants system by Baseball America once again. Here’s proof of that distinction. Yeah, we think he deserves it.
Kieschnick also made his Triple-A debut in 2012. He missed three months due to a left shoulder injury, but still managed to pace the Grizzlies in home runs with 15. Here is video evidence of power.
Kieschnick went down with the injury on May 31st, when he was batting .319. He appeared in four games as a designated hitter in the final series of the season from August 31-September 3, hitting a home run in the penultimate game.
Another name to watch for on the possible 2013 Grizzlies roster is Michael Kickham. The left-handed pitcher was placed fifth on Baseball America’s Top 10 list. The Missouri State product made 27 starts over 28 games for Double-A Richmond in 2012, going 11-10 with a 3.05 ERA. He had 137 strikeouts and 75 walks in 150.2 innings pitched.
He has quickly risen through the Giants system – he skipped High-A San Jose – and he may earn a shot at Triple-A in 2013 based on his career projection thus far. Kickham is rated as having the best slider in the Giants system according to Baseball America, a lethal pitch for a southpaw. The 24-year-old was selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
Offseason League Update – Dec. 12, 2012
Here is a look at how some Grizzlies from the 2012 season are performing in their respective offseason leagues:
Yusmeiro Petit – Bravos de Margarita (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional)
1-3 with a 4.30 ERA in 4 starts
After going winless through his first three starts, Petit picked up his first win of the winter season on December 5th against Leones del Caracas. Petit may have walked four batters in the winning decision, but he was beyond effective, as he did not allow a run over eight innings. The right-hander did not pitch more than seven innings in all of the 2012 regular season. Also of note (but probably lacks any meaning), in Petit’s last 12 starts, which date back to July 29th with the Grizzlies, he has recorded a decision in 11 of the games. In his first 21 starts in 2012, he only had six decisions.
Jean Machi – Navegantes de Magallanes (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional)
0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in 10 games
Machi’s sole appearance last week came on December 4th. His final pitching line looks good (2/3 innings pitched, no runs, one hit), but the devil is in the details. Machi entered the eighth inning with runners on first and third base and one out. He forced a groundout to the first batter he faced, but it allowed one run to score. The next batter singled to score another run, making the score 3-0 (which eventually turned out to be the final score). Since none of the runners were charged to Machi, the 2/3 scoreless innings did lower Machi’s ERA slightly from 7.71 to 7.20.
Francisco Peguero – Gigantes del Cibao (Liga de Beisbol Dominicano)
.197/.234/.295 with 6 RBI in 16 games
Over three games last week, Peguero went hitless in 10 plate appearances (nine at-bats) with five strikeouts. Peguero has struck out at least once in seven consecutive games (13 total strikeouts) and is batting .083 (2-for-24) over the same stretch. Peguero has continued to play center field in each of his 16 games with Cibao. With the Grizzlies in 2012, Peguero played in 27 games as a center fielder (77 games a right fielder).
Jackson Williams – Escognido (Liga de Beisbol Dominicano)
.275/.310/.400 with 5 RBI in 12 games
Full disclosure: Williams slipped through the cracks in our previous Winter League updates. Williams, a catcher for the Grizzlies in each of the last three seasons, is playing for Leones del Escogido. He made his first appearance with Escogido on November 17th. After batting .179 through his first seven games, Williams is hitting .500 (6-for-12) with four runs scored and two RBIs in his last five contests.
Offseason League Update – Dec. 4, 2012
Here is a look at how some Grizzlies from the 2012 season are performing in their respective offseason leagues:
Yusmeiro Petit – Bravos de Margarita (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional)
0-3 with a 6.60 ERA in 3 starts
Petit has remained winless in three starts with Margarita. He suffered the defeat in his last outing on November 28th against La Guaira, allowing four earned runs in the first inning. The right-hander allowed four of the first five batters he faced in the first frame to reach safely with a base hit. San Francisco Giants catcher Hector Sanchez eventually doubled off Petit to cap the inning’s scoring and make it 4-0. Petit allowed an unearned run in the second before finally settling down and surrendering one hit over his final three innings pitched. His final line read five innings, six hits allowed, five runs, four earned, one walk and five strikeouts.
Jean Machi – Navegantes de Magallanes (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional)
0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in 9 games
Machi made two appearances last week, and the two games tell different stories for the right-hander. In his first outing, Machi entered in the seventh inning of an already-pretty-much-decided 6-1 game. He forced the first batter to fly out, but after three straight batters reached safely to load the bases, Carlos Colmenares hit a bases-clearing triple. Machi closed out the inning without any more damage, but three runs on three hits and one walk ballooned his ERA to 9.82. On December 1st, Machi was the Machi Grizzlies fans saw most often in 2012 as he threw two scoreless innings in a 14-5 Magallanes victory over Cardenales de Lara.
Francisco Peguero – Gigantes del Cibao (Liga de Beisbol Dominicano)
.231/.273/.346 with 6 RBI in 13 games
Peguero batted .222 (4-for-18) with one walk in five games last week. His only multi-hit effort came on November 27th when he went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored. The speedy outfielder added two steals to give him three in 13 games. Since November 28th, Peguero has struck out eight times in four games.
Boof Bonser – Bravos de Margarita (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional)
0-2 with a 3.65 ERA (10 er, 24.2 ip) in 6 starts
Bonser has not pitched since November 17th.
Mitch Lively – Bravos de Margarita (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional)
0-2, 1 save with a 7.71 ERA in 12 games
Lively has not pitched since November 18th.
Todd Linden – Estrellas de Oriente (Liga de Beisbol Dominicano)
.256/.393/..522 with 7 HR and 13 RBI in 29 games
Linden did not play last week, but he is still second in the league in home runs and third in slugging percentage.
Roger Kieschnick – Leones de Escogido (Liga de Beisbol Dominicano)
.228/.308/.391 with 4 HR and 18 RBI in 24 games
Kieschnick has not appeared in a game since November 17th.
Winter League Update – Nov. 27, 2012
Here is a look at how some Grizzlies from the 2012 season are performing in their respective offseason leagues:
Heath Hembree – Scottsdale Scorpions (Arizona Fall League)
0-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 2 saves in 9 games
The Arizona Fall League season ended on November 17th when the Peoria Javelinas beat Salt River for the 2012 AFL Championship. Hembree and the Scottsdale Scorpions finished second in the Eastern Division as the team posted a 15-16 record. Hembree, though, did not pitch in the final week of the AFL season. His last appearance came on November 10th when he threw one inning and allowed no runs or hits against the four batters he faced. The right-hander finished the fall season with 12 strikeouts and three walks over nine innings. He also held opponents to a .229 batting average against.
Dan Runzler – Scottsdale Scorpions (Arizona Fall League)
1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 10 games
Runzler’s 2012 season ended like Hembree’s: he did not appear in any games for Scottsdale entering the final week of the AFL season. The left-hander ended his fall season with 11 strikeouts and seven walks over eight innings. All seven of his walks occurred in his final four outings when he posted a 4:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio across three innings.
Chris Dominguez – Scottsdale Scorpions (Arizona Fall League)
.317/.364/.585 with 3 HR and 8 RBIs in 10 games
Dominguez went 1-for-4 as the designated hitter in his last game with Scottsdale in 2012, keeping alive his nine-game hitting streak. He ended the season in a tie for the most home runs on the team with three. In six of his 10 games, he played left field while he served as the designated hitter in three games and played third base in one contest. Dominguez, who entered 2012 having played in 303 of his 334 career games as a third baseman, switched primarily to outfield during the 2012 regular season. He played outfield in 84 of his 92 games between Richmond and Fresno.
Boof Bonser – Bravos de Margarita (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional)
0-2 with a 3.65 ERA (10 er, 24.2 ip) in 6 starts
In his only start of the week, Bonser suffered his second loss of the season after he lasted 1 2/3 innings in a November 17th start. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out one. The outing was Bonser’s shortest of the VWL season.
Mitch Lively – Bravos de Margarita (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional)
0-2, 1 save with a 7.71 ERA in 12 games
Lively was roughed up on November 13th against Cardenales de Lara. In what eventually became a 9-1 loss for the Bravos, Lively surrendered four runs without recording an out in the top of the eighth inning. The right-hander allowed back-to-back singles (including a bunt single) to start the inning before issuing a walk to load the bases. Lively then surrendered a two-run single to Jairo Perez, which forced Lively from the game. Silfredo Garcia spelled Lively, but Garcia proved just as effective when he allowed a two-run double to the first batter he faced (the runs were charged to Lively). Lively came back in his next outing on November 18th and did not allow a run over 1 2/3 innings. He struck out two in the November 18th outing, his first multi-strikeout performance in the Venezuela League this season.
Yusmeiro Petit – Bravos de Margarita (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional)
0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in 2 starts
One of the Grizzlies’ most effective starters from 2012 made his VWL debut on November 16th, allowing one run and scattering eight hits over five innings. Petit would go on to suffer the hard-luck loss after the Bravos fell to Navegantes 1-0. In his second start, Petit threw five innings and suffered the loss once again. Only this time, Petit allowed six runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one on November 22nd.
Jean Machi – Navegantes de Magallanes (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional)
0-1 with a 7.11 ERA in 7 games
Machi made his VWL debut on November 13th, surrendering one run on two hits in a blown save. This set off a string of three straight outings – over three consecutive days – for Machi in which he blew a save opportunity. The right-hander took a couple days off, though, and returned to the mound on November 18th. He promptly struck out two of the three batters he faced in one inning of shutout baseball. In four appearances from November 18-23, Machi allowed one run over four innings to lower his ERA from 15.43 to 7.11.
Todd Linden – Estrellas de Oriente (Liga de Beisbol Dominicano)
.256/.393/..522 with 7 HR and 13 RBI in 29 games
Since starting the season batting .419 through his first nine games, Linden has seen his batting average fall to .256 through November 26th. In his last 29 at-bats, the switch hitter has five hits (or a .172 average). However, Linden has proven his worth with an on-base percentage of .385 over that same 29 at-bat stretch, helped by eight walks and two hit-by-pitches. His 18 walks in 29 games are tied for third most in the DWL. Linden also added two home runs between November 20th and 26th, keeping him in second place in the league for most home runs with seven.
Roger Kieschnick – Leones de Escogido (Liga de Beisbol Dominicano)
.228/.308/.391 with 4 HR and 18 RBI in 24 games
Kieschnick has not appeared in a game since November 17th when entered the game originally as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning. After striking out, he stayed in the game as a defensive replacement in right field, but he did not bat again. Over his last 20 at-bats, Kieschnick is hitless with two walks.
Francisco Peguero – Gigantes del Cibao (Liga de Beisbol Dominicano)
.235/.257/.353 with 4 RBI in 8 games
Peguero, who along with Jean Machi were with the Giants but not active during the World Series run, played in his first game with Cibao on November 16th. He went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and a walk. In his second game, Peguero went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a stolen base. With the bar set high, he has cooled off a bit, going 4-for-27 from November 19th-25th – including a 0-for-8 performance during a 16-inning game on November 20th. Defensively, Peguero has played center field in all eight of his games with the Gigantes.
Wilmin Rodriguez – Leones de Escogido (Liga de Beisbol Dominicano)
0-1 with 1 save and a 4.50 ERA in 5 games
The southpaw has not pitched since November 4th.
Spinning Records
Todd Linden was named the Grizzlies’ Team MVP in 2012 (Don Davis)
The Grizzlies may have recorded their fifth winning season in franchise history in 2012, but there were plenty of other standout performances by the team and individuals. Below are numbers that either set records or were close to it from the Grizzlies this season:
Nick Noonan had a memorable day on May 20th at Round Rock after going 4-for-5 at the plate. Two of his four hits were home runs, including his first career grand slam. The part of his day that stood out the most, though, was his 8 RBIs, the most ever by a Grizzlies hitter in a single game in the franchise’s 15-year history.
Noonan and Conor Gillaspie each matched the Grizzlies’ team record for hits in a single game with five each. Noonan had five hits on June 12th versus Sacramento at Chukchansi Park, and Gillaspie recorded five hits on April 21st at Tacoma.
On May 22nd, Francisco Peguero became the first Grizzlies hitter since Michael Byas (2002) to register two triples in a single game. Peguero ended his season with the Grizzlies with 10 triples, which tied Nate Schierholtz (2008) for second-most triples in a single season in Fresno history.
With the help of Peguero’s 10 triples, the Grizzlies set a franchise record with 48 triples for the entire season, surpassing the previous record of 43 set in 2006. The 48 three-base hits were third most in the PCL.
Justin Christian and Brock Bond each set themselves among the Grizzlies leaders in batting average and on-base percentage with their 2012 performances. Christian’s .343 batting average ties Tyler Graham (2010) for the third best clip in a season. Bond’s .332 average and .422 OBP are tied for eighth best and fifth best, respectively, in team history.
A couple of records set that were lowlights for the season include fewest team stolen bases (64) and grounded into double plays (134).
Todd Linden returned to the Grizzlies in 2012 for his sixth season in his career after spending the last 2 1/2 years away from affiliated baseball. The switch-hitter spent the entire campaign with Fresno and established himself as the leader in most offensive categories for the franchise’s career leaderboard. Linden is first in games (558), hits (563), doubles (117), triples (19), home runs (83), RBI (310), runs (361), walks (267) and strikeouts (529).
Eric Hacker also returned to the Grizzlies in 2012 after spending the 2010 season with Fresno. The right-handed pitcher moved up the franchise’s career leaderboard in wins (3rd with 28), strikeouts (9th with 232), starts (4th with 54) and innings pitched (7th with 316).
Another pitcher, Yusmeiro Petit, placed his name among many several single season Grizzlies record boards in his first year with Fresno. The right-hander struck out 153 batters, which is the third most ever by a Grizzlies pitcher. He only walked 36, helping him tally the franchise’s best K/BB ratio (4.25). Meanwhile, his 166.2 innings pitched are ourth most thrown by a Grizzlies pitcher in a season.
Jean Machi and Heath Hembree each had 15 saves, which are tied for seventh most in a season by Grizzlies pitchers. It was also the second straight season in which two Fresno hurlers each had 10 or more saves. Marc Kroon and Dan Otero had 20 and 12, respectively, in 2011.
Walk Up Songs – 2012 Edition
A walk-up/warm-up song for a baseball player can be a very picky process. Players want a song that pumps them up and could help them focus for the task at hand. Some players care a lot more than others when it comes to narrowing down a song. A select few don’t even bother choosing one.
The songs can range from the obscure to more well known, the newer to the older, the serious to jokester. Below are a few of the songs chosen by the 2012 Grizzlies for this season.
Travis Blackley
Artist: Pendulum
Song: Set Me On Fire
Hector Correa
Artist: Don Omar
Song: Danza Koduro
George Kontos
Artist: Eminem
Song: Till I Collapse
Shane Loux
Artist: LInkin Park
Song: No More Sorrow
Jean Machi
Artist: Don Omar
Song: Los Banddiros
Wilmin Rodriguez
Artist: Omega
Song: Me Veo Con La Paca
Craig Whitaker
Artist: Branlley Gilbert
Song: My Kinda Party
Matt Yourkin
Artist: Metallica
Song: Creeping Death
Eli Whiteside
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Song: The Ocean
Jackson Williams
Artist: Korn
Song: Coming Undone
Brock Bond
Artist: Matisyahu
Song: One Day
Skyler Stromsmoe
Artist: Newsboys
Song: Born Again
Artist: POD
Song: Alive
Roger Kieschnick
Artist: Van Halen
Song: Jump
Todd Linden
Artist: Jay-Z and Kanye West
Song: In Paris (acoustic)
Francisco Peguero
Artist: Daddy Yankee
Song: Samos de Calle
Tyler LaTorre
Artist: Backstreet Boys
Song: Larger Than Life (the beginning, of course)
Prospect Watch: Francisco Peguero
By: Jesse Beltran
Being considered a top-10 prospect for the San Francisco Giants the past three years can be a lot of pressure on a young outfielder like Francisco Peguero. After glancing at the 23-year-old’s numbers, one would notice it has not intimidated him.
Francisco Peguero rounds the bases (Real Life Studios)
Peguero’s journey through the farm system landed him in San Jose for 122 games in the 2010 season. He posted a .329 batting average while hitting 10 home runs and a league-leading 16 triples with 40 stolen bases, which led to his selection to the Post-Season California League All-Star team.
He wasn’t just an offense force; he did work with the glove as well, only committing four errors the entire season. After a phenomenal season, it was evident that high expectations were to follow. At the start of the 2011 season, Baseball America considered him the fourth-highest prospect in the Giants organization.
The two-time Major League Spring Training invitee didn’t miss a beat when the 2011 season rolled around, beginning the year in San Jose but only for 16 games due to his consistent numbers from the previous season.
Along came the promotion to the Double-A Flying Squirrels of Richmond, where he was limited to only 71 games due to arthroscopic knee surgery on his left knee. The knee injury did make a difference on the base paths. Peguero attained only eight stolen bases in Richmond and a total of 12 the entire year. His batting production continued with a consistent .309/.318/.446 line.
A player like Peguero who has an aggressive approach doesn’t draw much walks. Over his six-year career, he has batted 1,971 times and only drawn 80 walks. Due to his current approach, his slot in the lineup will be tough to figure out because he will give the team an edge from either the top or bottom part of the batting order.
A native of Nigua in the Dominican Republic, Peguero tends to go back home for the offseason for some rest and spend time with his family. However at the pace Peguero has been going through the Giants farm system, he took advantage of some extra reps during the offseason in the Dominican Winter League with the Gigantes del Cibao.
Peguero retrieves a fly ball with Richmond in 2011 (Real Life Studios)
This short league of 24 games benefited Peguero to keep his legs in shape chasing balls down in the outfield. At the plate, he slightly improved his patience with five walks in 87 at bats while batting .264 throughout the league. This improvement in walks doesn’t seem like much, but at that rate of walks per-at-bat, this calculates into him reaching his career total in walks (80) within 1,392 at-bats, instead of the 1,971 it actually took him. The Winter League experience will be a great benefit for him as he makes his way through Fresno.
Francisco Peguero has continued to work hard to achieve his dream of playing in the Major Leagues, being listed in the Top 100 Prospects at the #98 spot by MLB.com is just another feat for the young player in his journey. Striving to be ready for his call up to San Francisco, Peguero is expected to be in a Grizzlies uniform to begin the 2012 season.
Yard Work 