Former World Series MVP Emerging as Astros Best Hitter This Season

Who has been the best hitter for the Houston Astros this season?

May 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (3) hits a single during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Despite a slow start to the season, the Houston Astros are playing some good baseball and have creeped above the .500 mark.

After what was a wild winter for the Astros, it was hard to predict what this team was going to be. However, with Houston over a month into the campaign, some of their strengths and weaknesses are starting to emerge.

As expected, the starting rotation has seen some good performances with the talent that they have there. However, it hasn’t quite lived up to expectations just yet, with some injuries contributing to the struggles.

However, even though the rotation might not be firing on all cylinders, the bullpen has been.

Led by closer Josh Hader, the bullpen for the Astros has been one of the best in the league and a massive bright spot for the team.

While the pitching staff overall has been good, the lineup for Houston has been under a microscope since they traded away Kyle Tucker and saw Alex Bregman leave in free agency.

For the most part, the unit hasn’t been great. While Jose Altuve got off to a nice start, he has struggled of late. Furthermore, Yordan Alvarez has got off to a slow start and is now dealing with a hand injury.

Which Houston Astros Slugger is Leading the Way?

Even though the unit overall isn’t performing well, one of their key pieces has been. Former World Series MVP Jeremy Pena has helped pick up the slack for some of his teammates this season on offense.

The talented shortstop is slashing .287/.345/.433 with five home runs and 19 RBI.

This production has been a great thing to see for the franchise so far. After the loss of Tucker and Bregman, Pena was certainly a player the franchise was hoping would step up after a couple of mediocre years.

Since helping Houston win the World Series as a rookie in 2022, the results haven’t been near the MVP-caliber numbers he put up in the postseason that year.

However, at 27 years old, Pena is still a very young player who could still be working on his game.

Due to the struggles of the offense overall, it has been the shortstop who has emerged as the best hitter on the team. Currently, he is leading the franchise this campaign in both hits and home runs, which wasn’t something many would have predicted to begin the season.

If the Astros can get their offense going a bit around Pena, they could make some noise in what appears to be a weak American League.