Better Late Than Never for Houston Astros Young Middle Infielder

The Houston Astros have finally received some offensive production from their young shortstop this year.

May 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (3) reacts to his home run against the Kansas City Royals in the sixth inning at Daikin Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros know what solid play from middle infielders looks like. Until this year, Jose Altuve was the primary second baseman for over a decade. Before he was mashing home runs for the Minnesota Twins, Carlos Correa was doing it 81 times a year in (then) Minute Maid Park.

It has been more of a struggle for the man who replaced Correa, however. Debuting in 2022, Jeremy Pena quickly made a name for himself. In his rookie year, he batted .253/.289/.426 with 22 home runs, 63 RBI and a 102 OPS+. He finished fifth in American League Rookie of the Year voting for his efforts, along with taking home a Gold Glove for his defensive abilities. That postseason, he played a major role in the team's success and brought home ALCS and World Series MVPs.

In the two years after 2022, things have not gone so well for Pena. He batted just .265/.316/.388 with 25 home runs, 122 RBI and a 97 OPS+ in that time, just slightly worse than league average. Through the first quarter of 2025, Pena has found his stride at the plate.

Better Late Than Never for Houston Astros Shortstop Jeremy Pena

Entering play on Wednesday, Pena has batted .297/.351/.456 with six home runs, 21 RBI and a 127 OPS+. His .807 OPS leads the team among qualified batters, along with leading the team with his home run total and tying for the lead in RBI with Yainer Diaz.

Pena has found success at the plate through a number of different changes to his batted-ball profile. First, he has once again cut down on his strikeouts. That is an aspect he has improved on year-over-year every year since his debut, and it currently sits at 13.7%. His walk rate is back to 6.3%, while his home run rate sits at 3.4%, and that is where the real magic lies.

Pena has hit ground balls at a career-low rate this year and has found much success in the process. Only 45.3% of his batted balls have been grounders, and when he does hit the ball, he is utilizing his pull-side power more than ever before with a 34.3% pull rate.The Crawford Boxes are getting a lot of fly balls this year, and the young shortstop is making sure that continues.

Pena figuring things out at the plate and having a career-best year to this point has been a major boon for the Astros. It has helped them stay around .500 while the rest of the team has struggled, and kept them within arm's reach of the division lead.

If this is the player that Pena will be for the rest of his career, the shortstop position in Houston is in capable hands.

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