ANAHEIM -- Jeremy Peña knows he set high expectations for himself as a rookie in 2022.
The 2018 third-round Draft pick hit 22 home runs as he took over for Carlos Correa as Houston’s shortstop, finishing fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting and winning a Gold Glove.
But it was Peña’s heroics in the postseason that really cemented his place as one of the faces of the Astros’ burgeoning young core. Peña slashed .345/.367/.638 with four homers in 13 postseason games, capturing the ALCS and World Series MVP Awards as the Astros beat the Phillies to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy.
After his magical postseason run, though, Peña regressed to league average. He would hit 25 home runs total over the next two seasons, finishing with OPS+ marks of 95 and 99 in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
This season, Peña has regained his October 2022 form -- and then some. Peña began Friday’s 3-2 series opener victory in extra innings against the Angels at Angel Stadium with his 10th home run of the season -- and his third leadoff homer -- and would go on to collect a single in the fifth, a walk in the eighth and another base hit in the 10th. It’s his 11th multihit game in June, during which he’s hitting .395.
The 27-year-old raised his batting average to .328, tied for third in MLB, with an .869 OPS and 97 hits, behind only Aaron Judge and Jacob Wilson for the MLB lead. Through 76 games, Peña has already surpassed his WAR total from the last two seasons.
“I’m just trying to kind of set a plan going into the game and sticking to it,” Peña said. “Trusting the process, trusting my preparation and then just going out there and competing.”
Peña’s resurgence wasn’t immediate. Over his first 25 games this season, he hit .244 with 15 strikeouts and five extra-base hits. But in the 51 games since, he’s hitting .364 with seven homers, 12 doubles and a .947 OPS.
So what’s the secret? Sometimes, things take time to click.
“Just kind of knowing my body a little bit more, knowing my swing a little bit more,” Peña said. “And then just put that together with a good plan, and you just go out and compete. Let the results take care of themselves.”
The results have propelled Peña into the All-Star conversation, where he’s currently in third place among American League shortstops, behind Wilson and Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. But Peña says he’s not paying attention to that.
“I feel like I’m a person that, I control what I can control, which is, like I said, my preparation for the game, go out and compete, try and help my team win,” he said. “And then whatever comes with that, great.”
One person who is paying attention to the All-Star voting is Astros manager Joe Espada.
“I’m voting every night,” Espada said. “I get on the phone and I vote for my All-Stars.”
Espada lauded his shortstop’s confidence -- which he said was evident with his leadoff homer.
“He gets his pitches, he’s just hitting balls hard, controlling the strike zone,” Espada said. “That knock there in the 10th to move the runner, everything he’s doing right now is just All-Star worthy.”
Peña and Isaac Paredes opened the top of the first with back-to-back solo shots, the 12th time in franchise history that the Astros began a game with consecutive home runs, and the first time since Jose Altuve and Peña did it on July 24, 2022, in Seattle. The Astros eventually broke the stalemate in the 10th after a passed ball allowed the go-ahead run to score.
Starter Hunter Brown was solid -- though not his typical brand of electric -- striking out four across five innings, allowing only two hits and a solo homer. He also got into it with Angels shortstop Zach Neto after a hit-by-pitch that led to a brief clearing of the benches. Brown and Neto exchanged words, but the tensions ended there.
“Honestly, he almost swung,” Brown said. “So I don’t know what he’s talking about. Guy stands right on top of the plate, doesn’t like when he gets hit, that’s his problem.
“ ... I gotta command the inside part of the plate. That’s part of my game. If you want to stand with your toes on the chalk, you can’t get that upset when I’m throwing a pitch that you’re almost swinging at. I stand by what I do, and obviously, there was no intent behind it.”
Brown also applauded Peña’s latest three-hit performance, which proved crucial in a tight win.
“It feels like he’s hitting .800,” Brown said. “I’m always watching, he’s getting knocks. His defense is great, his leadership’s awesome. I’m happy he’s on my team, and obviously happy to see him do well.”