Carlos Peguero making believer out of Rangers manager

Carlos Peguero stood in front of his locker after the Rangers 8-0 loss to the Mariners on Sunday afternoon.

He was wearing a promotional T-shirt for the new Christian-based film Do You Believe?

Peguero, who turned 28 last month, was at a career crossroads in December when he was released by the Royals.

He was among a group of eight players the Rangers signed to minor league deals on Jan. 13, a piece of news that caused barely a ripple of interest from most fans and seemed less important than minor league coordinator positions announced in the same press release.

Peguero, and his mostly forgettable 69 major league games with the Mariners and Royals on his resume, was given an invitation to major league camp.

And again, there he was among a group of eight to 10 candidates at the beginning of spring training vying for a spot in left field or as the fourth outfielder.

So far, Rangers manager Jeff Banister has no choice. He believes in Peguero.

The 6-foot-5 slugger singled three more times Sunday, giving him a team-leading .440 average in 12 games. The left-handed hitter is spraying it around, too, including two through the left side of the infield Sunday.

He’s shown power with a homer and two doubles despite changing to a more compact swing, which has helped improve his plate discipline, Banister said, as his three walks and six strikeouts suggest.

“He’s been hitterish,” Banister said before Sunday’s game. “There is an approach and confidence by which they enter the box, how they stand in the box, the look in their face. The line of their swing.”

Plus, Banister said, Peguero isn’t just feasting on mistakes from minor league pitchers destined for Double A later this year.

“He’s hit some tough pitches,” he said.

But the challenge for Banister and his staff is figuring out which Peguero to believe in: The one they’re seeing with their own eyes in 2015 or the one the stats show struggled mightily against major league pitching the previous four seasons — .196 average, 89 strikeouts, nine homers in 214 at-bats.

“This guy is a spring training All-Star,” Banister said. “Go back and look, it tells you a story.”

Peguero has done this before. In fact, the previous three springs he was impressive, leaving fans in Seattle and Kansas City salivating. In those three springs combined he hit 10 homers, six doubles, two triples and stole five bases with a batting average well over .300.

“He’s making it challenging on everybody just based on how well he’s playing,” Banister said after the game. “That’s what you want. You want guys to step up and continue to compete and show you the confidence in the box.”

And it’s not just his success at the plate that has impressed Banister. He’s played well defensively, including right field and center field in Sunday’s game. The club plans to work him in left field soon, too.

“He’s been the epitome of all the things we’ve talked about — running hard, playing hard, showing up every day and laying it all out on the line,” Banister said. “He looks the part.”

Peguero, who is from the Dominican Republic, credits his resurgence to the calming effect his conversion to Christianity had two years ago.

“That gave me purpose. If it’s a routine ground ball, try to have faith that I’m going to be safe,” said Peguero, who beat out a hard shot to shortstop to lead off the second. “Something clicked with me and God gave me a purpose and I pour my heart out for this game.”

The spiritual change has helped Peguero treat baseball differently and more intellectually.

“I’m able to have a plan, a purpose in my life, understand what my type of game is. Don’t get out of my game,” he said. “If [pitchers] throw it away, don’t try to pull it, just go with it. Understand what they’re trying to do with me and what kind of pitch they use to try to get me out.”

So Banister and his coaches will continue to evaluate and decide whether they believe in Peguero.

“He’s up there on a mission,” Banister said.

Peguero will continue to have fun making Banister’s decision a tough one.

“So far, so good,” he said. “I don’t think about that too much. I just think about enjoying every time they give me an opportunity to be on the field, to compete and show what I’ve got ... I’m here to serve.”

This story was originally published March 22, 2015 at 7:48 PM with the headline "Carlos Peguero making believer out of Rangers manager."