Jeremy Pena #3 of the Houston Astros celebrates scoring the go ahead run in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 23, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Elsa/Getty ImagesTo his teammates, Jeremy Peña's most impressive playoff moment to date isn’t his walk-off homer so secure a sweep in Game 3 of the ALDS. It isn't either of his other postseason home runs, nor any of his impressive defensive plays at shortstop. If you ask Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, Peña's top postseason contribution to date is a simple single up the middle.
Bregman recalled the moment Thursday ahead of Game 1 of the 2022 World Series. Houston's shortstop fell into an 0-2 count during the ninth inning in Game 1 of the ALDS, flailing against pitches on the outside part of the plate. Yet facing a potential strikeout, Peña came through in a difficult situation. The rookie stayed patient with yet another outer-third slider, lining the ball up the middle for a base hit. Slugger Yordan Alvarez came to the plate two batters later, and as we now know, the rest is history.
Alvarez’s walk-off home run will forever live on in Astros' lore. It wouldn’t have been possible if not for Peña's patient hitting in a critical moment.
"He had such a good at-bat against [Paul] Sewald, one of the best relievers in the game," Bregman boasted. "He stayed on a slider down and away, literally a perfect pitch, and hits a missile up the middle to give Yordan a chance at the walk-off. ... He didn’t care that he was 0-for-4 [in the game]."
It's been a breakout postseason for Houston’s young shortstop. Peña enters the World Series hitting .303 in the postseason with a .990 OPS. He is just the fifth rookie in MLB history with three home runs in his first seven playoff games. The 25-year-old even won ALCS MVP honors after a standout series against New York, becoming the third-youngest player to ever take home the award.
Peña is establishing a reputation as a reliable clutch performer. He credits a clear mind for helping him perform in key moments.
"When you start maturing in this game, you start to keep the same level head during both good and bad times," Peña said following Game 1 of the ALDS. "You have to always bring yourself back to performance mode."
Peña's postseason is even more impressive given the stature of his predecessor at shortstop. The position in Houston was previously home to one of the greatest players in franchise history, and one who also delivered a number of heroic playoff moments. Carlos Correa amassed 34.1 wins above replacement in his seven seasons with the Astros, from 2015-21. More importantly, Correa emerged as one of the great playoff performers in recent memory. During his Houston tenure, he bashed 18 playoff home runs in just 79 games, good for seventh on the all-time list. Peña acknowledges the shadow left behind him at shortstop. But measuring him against Correa is a meaningless exercise.
"Jeremy is his own player," Astros manager Dusty Baker said. "He's done everything we've asked of him this year and more."
Houston didn't need much time to know it had a suitable replacement for the former face of the franchise. Peña turned in a strong April at the plate with a .811 OPS in his first 15 games, and of chief importance to the Astros, Peña was a reliable anchor in the field from his first weeks with the franchise.
"His side-to-side range is unbelievable," Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said of Peña. "He does everything well on that end."
The numbers back up Bregman's assessment of Peña's defense. The standout rookie led all American League shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved in 2022, per FanGraphs. He finished fourth among AL shortstops in MLB's Outs Above Average metric. Peña's prenatural calm—one Baker attributes to the shortstop's father, former MLB infielder Gerónimo Peña—lends itself to a spot captaining the infield. So do his physical tools.
The stakes will continue to rise for Peña beginning on Friday night. Game 1 vs. Philadelphia will mark Peña's first career at-bat in the Fall Classic, and this series will decide more than just a champion. The Astros have been the American League's preeminent franchise across the last six seasons. Another World Series would cement them as an unquestioned dynasty.
The pressures of a World Series are immense. Peña's teammates aren't worried about the spotlight.
"That's the kind of guy he is," Bregman said. "He’s made a lot of us say 'Wow' all year long."