Joel Peguero Fulfills His Dream in the Major Leagues
San Diego. Joel Peguero’s tenacity has been rewarded. After a decade since he signed his first professional contract, the Dominican pitcher was called up by the San Francisco Giants to debut in the Major Leagues, making the dream he pursued since he was 18 years old come true. Peguero, 28, joined the Giants organization from Triple-A Sacramento, as part of the roster adjustments before the end of the series against the Padres at Petco Park. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, the team transferred reliever Erik Miller to the 60-day injured list.The Dominican player began his career in 2015 with the Tampa Bay Rays and, although he reached Triple-A in 2021, he did not receive the call to the Majors. He went through the Rockies, Nationals, and Tigers organizations, where he played in Double-A Erie during the 2024 season. There he showed consistency as a reliever, with an ERA of 3.14 in 43 appearances. Signed by San Francisco in the past offseason, Peguero impressed from the start of Spring Training, reaching 101 mph with his fastball and winning the 2025 Barney Nugent Award, recognition for the best rookie of the camp. Although he was close to integrating the bullpen on Opening Day, a knee injury held him back at the beginning of the season. After an irregular start, he finished strong in Triple-A: he posted an ERA of 2.45 and limited opposing batters to a .154 average in his last 14 outings. The injury to right-hander Landen Roupp, who left Wednesday with a sprained knee, opened the door for Peguero to receive the expected call-up. Manager Bob Melvin praised the pitcher’s current form:“It feels incredible. I waited a long time. My dream has come true.”
Joel Peguero
“He’s at his best right now. We knew we’d see it at some point. He has a great arm and today he gets his first opportunity. We’re excited about that.”
Bob Melvin
