Houston Astros Young Star Changed Batting Stance to Deliver More Power

One of the reasons why the Houston Astros have been able to keep rolling during this dynastic run is because they've replaced their departed stars with promising prospects who deliver at the Major League level.

Plenty of teams around the league likely thought the end was near when Gerrit Cole, George Springer and Carlos Correa departed in free agency.

Yet, the Astros are still dominant, having won a World Series title without all three of those previous franchise cornerstones.

Jeremy Pena was a huge factor in that.

Tasked with replacing Correa in 2022, he delivered an unbelievable rookie season that saw him slash .253/.289/.426 with 22 home runs and 63 RBI. He took his game to new heights in the playoffs as he posted an OPS of 1.005 and took him both the ALCS MVP and World Series MVP awards.

Houston looked to have found another gem.

But, his performance fell off a cliff in 2023 that had many fans, and possibly members of the front office, concerned.

Pena only hit 10 home runs and drove in 52 runs. He was a shell of himself in the postseason with a .200/.238/.225 slash line and no homers.

The young star also has not hit a ball over the fence since July 5 of last year.

That's why the 26-year-old went to work almost immediately this offseason, hoping to rebuild his swing.

Hader vs. Jeremy Peña pic.twitter.com/VvEOESvAz4
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 19, 2024

Pena no longer wags his bat. He also doesn't tap his front toe, instead he sort of slides it forward in a way he calls a "hover."

Completely changing swings can be difficult for players as they're getting away from their "natural" feel with the bat in their hands. That could create more thinking at the plate, something baseball players try to avoid.

However, the shortstop is feeling confident in what he's worked on and the new swing he's built.

"It felt good, it felt calm, it felt under control. That's the whole goal behind this, to start from a position where I feel comfortable, and I can build off that," he told reporters according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

He also made sure to mention that it doesn't feel natural.

Pena believes this new swing is the right one that will help him produce more consistently in the MLB, but it will take some getting used to.

Only time will tell if the young star returns to the dominant hitter he showcased in 2022, or if he's much closer to the version he was in 2023.