Astros Shortstop Breaks Out with Career Year, Earns Top-50 Spot on MLB Network's Top 100 Players

The Astros shortstop's career-best season landed him in MLB Network's Top 100 Players.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Jeremy Pena entered 2025 with questions about his bat. He'd been a solid defender and a .271 career hitter through three seasons. Useful, but far from elite. By season's end, the Houston Astros shortstop had blown past those expectations.

MLB Network placed Pena at No. 49 on its Top 100 Players Right Now rankings in mid-January. It's the first time the 28-year-old has cracked the top 50. His 2025 numbers showed a player who finally unlocked the offensive potential scouts saw when Houston drafted him in 2018.​

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We’ve now entered the Top 50 on @MLBNetwork’s #Top100RightNow!

Roman Anthony comes in at No. 41 after an elite rookie season in Boston. pic.twitter.com/lwVyTdFjAC

— MLB (@MLB) January 18, 2026

Pena slashed .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 62 RBI in 125 games. His .840 OPS more than doubled his previous career high of .715 from his 2022 rookie year. He earned his first All-Star selection and received AL MVP votes despite missing time with a fractured rib and oblique strain.

He posted 30 doubles while cutting his strikeout rate to a career-low 17.1 percent and swiped 20 bases in 22 attempts. His 38-point jump in batting average from 2024 caught attention around the league. The question was how he'd done it.​

Swing Changes Made the Difference

Jeremy Pena | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Pena worked with hitting coach Alex Cintron to clean up his mechanics. He eliminated excess movement in the box and adjusted his positioning at the plate. He also trained with former Astros shortstop Carlos Correa in Houston over the winter, picking up tips on staying quick to the ball while remaining aggressive.​

Starting more open in his stance helped him handle inside fastballs. His slugging percentage against heaters jumped from .378 in 2024 to .555 in 2025. The improved plate discipline showed up across the board. His chase rate dropped to 35.5 percent and his walk rate increased from 3.8 percent to 6.4 percent.​

His exit velocity reached the 90th percentile for the first time while his barrel rate also improved. Pena's ability to pull the ball in the air reached a career high, helping him post personal bests in home runs and extra-base hits. The shortstop's career year gave Houston one of baseball's most complete players at the position.​

What It Means Going Forward

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

His breakout season had another benefit beyond the ranking. The timing couldn't have been better for Pena's wallet. He settled on a $9.475 million salary for 2026 through arbitration, more than double the $4.1 million he earned in 2025.

Extension talks got complicated last summer. The Astros were closing in on a five-year, $105 million deal before Pena hired super agent Scott Boras. Boras halted negotiations. General manager Dana Brown has said the team isn't looking to move him.​

Pena remains under team control through 2027. Free agency looms ahead of the 2028 season. Some regression seems possible given the jump in his offensive production. But if he maintains even 80 percent of his 2025 output, he's set up for a massive payday when he hits the open market.

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