Peguero Joining Blanks as Unlikely Offense

Remember Nelson Cruz's meteoric rise to being one of baseball's most feared hitters? He wasn't one of those guys that hit the bigs at 22 and took the league by storm. He wasn't even a full-time player until his late 20s, a rarity in the game.

Carlos Peguero is hardly a regular yet, especially with the pending Josh Hamilton arrival in the next couple of weeks, but he's sure making the most of his opportunity with his new team after a long stint as a top prospect in the Mariners system who never quite realized his potential.

On Wednesday night in Houston, he tied Kyle Blanks, of all people, for the Rangers team lead in home runs by jacking two long balls in the Rangers' 11-3 rout of the Astros.

"It's very fun," Peguero told the Associated Press. "We got the three wins in a row. Colby did a great job. I tried to wait for the ball, let it drop and I put a good swing on it."

Did he ever. Peguero's homers were no-doubters, and to the opposite field. He also showed his wheels on a base hit when he scored from first base.

The 6-5, 260-pound lefty hit 30 homers last year with Triple-A Omaha in the Royals organization, but only played four games with the big club. Before that, he was one of the Mariners' top prospects but never quite lived up to his potential.

Now, he's 28, and he might have found himself a home in baseball.

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