SPECIAL REPORT: El Centro’s “Baby-faced Assassin” slays his way to the big show

2017 Central High school grad Marco Peralta's faith, hard work and determination guide him to career in Major League Baseball

TEMPE, Ariz. ( KYMA, KECY-TV ) - Walking through the Los Angeles Angels spring training complex at Tempe Diablo Stadium, Marco Peralta cheerfully greets everyone he comes across. He knows everyone by name even though he's only been with the Los Angeles Angels communications team for a short time.

"I grew up just wanting to work in sports," Peralta said. "Originally I wanted to be a professional soccer player. Later on his life I just wanted to pursue sports broadcasting."

Peralta attended Central Union High School in El Centro and graduated in 2017. Little did he know at the time that his less-than-desirable grades would set him on the path to success.

"I played four years of varsity soccer, two years I didn't complete because of my grades," Peralta said. "I was also a part of the baseball team as a manager. I helped out with the scorekeeping and just being an extra set of hands for the coaches."

His low-grade point average (GPA) didn't allow Marco many options after high school.

"I didn't have the good grades to get into a good school, Peralta said. "I also come from a low-income family so going to school and paying for it so I went to Imperial Valley College."

Marco said he enjoyed Imperial Valley College (IVC) and while the small college doesn't have a lot of sports teams, Marco got involved when and where he could.

"I got to be a part of the communications department as the communications club president," Peralta said. "I did some PA for the men's and women's basketball teams, I took as many opportunities as I could and made the best out of it."

While at Imperial Valley College, Marco's GPA never dipped below a 3.00 average.

I knew what I wanted to do and knew what I had to do to get to where I wanted to be.

Marco Peralta

While at Imperial Valley College, Marco would find a big key to his future while attending an Aguilas baseball game in Mexicali.

"I went to meet some people who work for the Aguilas baseball network, radio network," Peralta said. "One of the guys there told me to add Francisco Romero and to add him on social media."

Romeo is the Spanish radio voice of the Houston Astros and the University of Arizona athletics. Marco soon added Francisco to his social media Rolodex and sparked up a conversation.

"He gave me the consideration of Arizona State University for my college," Peralta said. "To hear him say go to ASU instead of U of A, that just told me, I'm pretty sure it's a good school."

Marco took Francisco's advice and recommendation to attend Arizona State University. This was also a time during COVID and internships were hard to come by. Luckily for Marco, he's bilingual, it's an advantage and another tool in his personal arsenal that led him to continue his path to success.

"I met someone at ASU and he knew that I wanted to work in sports and he recommended me to the radio station that broadcast Phoenix Suns games in Spanish," Peralta said. "I asked if I could get an internship. Part of ASU is you need an internship to graduate."

Marco got the internship and soon his hard work and dedication would soon pay off. He was offered a role as the station's pregame, halftime, and post-game host. Marco did so well that he was brought back for a second season.

"In that second season I was able to be the color commentator and backup play-by-play announcer," Peralta said. "It was also the first season I got to cover the NBA Finals so that was a surreal experience for sure."

Marco then would land an opportunity with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"I helped out with all the broadcasting stuff, getting stuff ready for the broadcasts, helping out with affiliate stations, contracts, travel itinerary, everything," Peralta said. "The beautiful thing is I learned a whole lot. Met some great people but my dream was to announce a baseball game professionally and I was able to do a couple of them as a D-Backs announcer in Spanish. It was a really special experience."

As impressive as Marco was, it still wasn't enough to land a full-time role with either the Suns or the Diamondbacks. His internships now depleted, and Marco was told to land any full-time spots that he needed more experience.

He chose to pursue other possibilities away from the Phoenix area and applied for a position with the Los Angeles Angels with a letter of recommendation from the Diamondbacks.

"I think when I was with the D-Backs in was in the pursuit of a full-time position," Peralta said. "This job with the Angels came up and I applied for it and got it through the recommendation of the Diamondbacks."

Just timing and I'm a big believer in my faith. I really think things will happen when the Lord says it will happen.

Marco Peralta

Peralta said when he got the call from the Angels, he wasn't expecting the news he got on the other end of the phone.

"I got the call and they said thank you so much for your application, I was thinking I didn't get this job," Peralta said. "Then they said we want you to be a part of the Angels family. I was going crazy and had a smile that wouldn't go away. I remembered when I hung up the phone I yelled with excitement."

Marco also worked the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field, and most recently the Los Angeles FC versus Leon Champions League soccer final.

Not bad for a kid who grew up in a trailer park along Highway 111 in El Centro.

"My dad went through health issues, my mom is my rock, It was tough," Peralta said. "Just now to see how I'm in the clubhouse with Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Sandoval, and before with Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton. The D-Backs people and the World Cup with the best soccer players in the world. If you would've told me this three years ago, I wouldn't believe one of those experiences."

Marco said he hopes what he was able to accomplish will inspire more young people across Imperial County.

"I hope I can be like a mentor or inspiration for kids back home to really strive for their dreams," Peralta said. "Something else I want people to see is that if they see me, they see how God has worked in me. I'm not perfect at all. There are things I need to polish and be better at. We'll see where life and God takes me and what happens next."