The Houston Astros had no problems letting shortstop Carlos Correa leave in free agency after the 2021 season.
That is because they had their shortstop of the future in the waiting.
His name is Jeremy Pena and he is arguably the best defensive shortstop in the MLB.
Houston has done a great job of drafting and developing which is why they are so good every year.
Pena is just the next player on a long list of homegrown talent.
According to SIS_Baseball, Pena leads MLB in defensive runs saved for a shortstop since 2022.
MLB Leaders in Defensive Runs Saved
Shortstops Since Start of 2022Jeremy Peña 19
Jorge Mateo 18
Miguel Rojas 17Seems like we show Peña a lot here … for good reason pic.twitter.com/vcnLaTl9KK
— SIS_Baseball (@sis_baseball) May 16, 2023
Being an elite defender sometimes goes unnoticed in the MLB.
But it is critical to team success.
Pena had big shoes to fill when he took over for Correa.
But the spotlight was never too big for him.
He broke out in last year’s playoffs winning both the ALCS MVP and World Series MVP.
It is rare to see a rookie walk away with both of those awards on the game’s biggest stage.
Also, Pena won a Gold Glove in his first season in the big leagues.
He made Astros fans forget about the loss of Correa as they have found their shortstop of the future.
The Astros will be competitive for many years because of their farm system.
They can get the best out of young players and turn them into key contributors in the MLB.
Sometimes we see players flop in year two after an outstanding rookie season.
But that has not been the case with Pena so far.
NEXT:
Yordan Alvarez Seals Astros Win With Mammoth Home Run
