LOS ANGELES -- With the reserves announced for the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on Sunday, the Astros will be represented in Atlanta on July 15 by three players: Jeremy Peña, Hunter Brown and Josh Hader. It’s the first nod for Peña and Brown, while this will be Hader’s sixth appearance in the last seven years.
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“Well deserving. Three amazing humans and great players,” manager Joe Espada said. “I’m so proud of their accomplishments, how they came up through our system, and what they mean to our club. … I feel like we have a few more in here, but extremely happy for those three individuals.”
The Astros have had at least three All-Stars every year since 2017. Their 36 total selections over the last eight seasons are the most in MLB during that span.
SS Jeremy Peña (previous All-Star selections: none)
Peña, who landed on the 10-day injured list July 1 with a rib fracture, has been the Astros’ best player this year, slashing .322/.378/.489 with 11 homers, 40 RBIs and 15 stolen bases before his injury. He had appeared in every game before getting injured and was playing a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop. He was hitting a Major League-best .354 with a .941 OPS in 55 games after being moved into the leadoff position April 27.
Swing changes, a revamped batting stance and improved plate discipline have helped propel Peña to All-Star status this year.
“I did a lot of work with Carlos Correa and his team out in Houston,” Peña said. “I feel like some of the stuff we talked about from the first day just felt right. It was about just staying short, staying tight and eliminating unnecessary movements in your swing. I just ran with that this offseason. I love where I’m at right now in my game, I know there’s still improvement.
“I still show up trying to get better every single day.”
Peña could be on track for his best season defensively, too. He posted a career-low 1.4 dWAR last year but had matched that through 82 games in 2025. He already had eight DRS through mid-June after having only four last year. And he had committed only five errors after a career-high-tying 19 last year.
RHP Hunter Brown (previous All-Star selections: none)
Brown had a breakout season last year and has taken his game to another level in 2025. He was leading the Major Leagues in ERA (1.82) and first in the AL in opponents’ batting average (.180) through Sunday. The Astros were 13-4 in his first 17 starts of the season.
Brown, drafted by the Astros in the fifth round in 2019 out of Wayne State, rebounded from a lackluster start to his 2024 campaign when he added a sinker to his repertoire. He has continued to reap the rewards, being named AL Pitcher of the Month for June 2025 after allowing just four runs in 30 1/3 innings (1.19 ERA) and capping the dominant stretch with seven scoreless innings and nine strikeouts to power a sweep of the Phillies.
Brown grew up in Detroit emulating the mechanics of Justin Verlander and later was a teammate of Verlander, who helped him in 2023 and ’24 turn his career around.
“I’m just trying to soak it in and take it for what it is,” Brown said of his first All-Star selection. “Ideally, you’d like to think you’ll be a 10-time, 15-time All-Star, but at the end of the day, you might not get another opportunity. So I’m just gonna enjoy this one.”
LHP Josh Hader (previous All-Star selections: 2018-19, ’21-22 with Brewers, ’23 with Padres)
Hader is having one of the best seasons of his career in his second year in Houston, successfully converting his first 25 save chances. That is an Astros club record, surpassing Dave Smith’s 21 consecutive saves to start a season in 1989.
Hader was named AL Relief Pitcher of the Month in June, when he allowed just six hits and struck out 22 in 13 2/3 innings across 14 appearances with nine saves and a 1.98 ERA. He got his 200th career save in his 421st career appearance on Opening Day; only former Astros closer Billy Wagner reached 200 saves in fewer games.
As the experienced vet among Houston’s All-Star trio, Hader hopes his first-timer teammates take “every little thing” from the experience.
“From flying the show planes, to signing all the memorabilia … going on the red carpet, watching the Home Run Derby and just enjoying the game,” said Hader. “It’s just like everything added up into one. It’s overwhelming, for sure, in your first one, but hopefully they can take some time just to enjoy the moment.”