Peña looks at home in fast start on road
The Astros’ last game at Minute Maid Park before Monday was tinged with sadness from a World Series loss and the impending exit of the franchise’s era-defining shortstop.
Five months later on a warm April day, the 2022 home opener offered a fresh start as Houston’s new starting shortstop prepared to debut at his home ballpark.
Jeremy Peña watched the Astros’ 2021 World Series run from the dugout as a member of the club’s postseason taxi squad but did not make his MLB debut until opening day this season in Anaheim.
So while Peña already had started eight games in his rookie campaign during the Astros’ opening road trip, Monday’s 8-3 victory over the Angels marked his first major league start at Minute Maid Park.
“I’m excited to get to play in
front of the Houston crowd,” Peña said. “It’s been awesome. It’s been a dream come true. Just being in the big leagues, that’s what you dream of since you’re a little kid, so I’m excited to be part of this club and show up every
day and try to help the team win.”
Ten games into the season, he already has played in more major league games than he attended before he was selected by the Astros in the third round of the 2018 amateur draft out of the University of Maine.
“I’ve only been to, maybe, four games in my whole life,” Peña said. “Went to Yankee Stadium my first game, and then I went to a couple during the (college) postseason wherever we (Maine) were playing. Went to the Orioles, the Rays. Not many games.”
None of those were opening games, but that designation did not mean much to Peña on Monday. He is the type of player who, at least outwardly, refuses to assign additional significance to anything lest it interfere with his routine or mental preparations.
Besides, he hit plenty of milestones prior to Monday.
Peña homered in his second major league game on April 8 and became the second player in Astros history to record three three-hit games within his first eight games, joining Hector Torres (1968). Asked about his hot start, Peña merely shrugged.
“I wouldn’t think about it too much,” he said. “I just separate the games. Today is a brand new day. The past is the past and just keep moving forward.”
Replacing Carlos Correa is not an enviable job, but Peña has thus far impressed within a small sample size of games. His bat has represented one of few sparks in a Houston offense that was struggling before Monday, with a .996 OPS across his first 32 plate appearances and some eyebrow-raising exit velocities. On defense, he entered Monday tied with Braves counterpart Dansby Swanson for first among all major leaguers in outs above average (3), per Baseball Savant.
“I wouldn’t say I surprised myself,” Peña said. “This is what we work for. We put the work in to show up every single day ready to give it all and let the results take care of themselves.”