Why everything you thought you knew about Astros' Jeremy Pena is probably wrong

DON'T LOOK NOW!

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena had some huge expectations placed on him in his second big league season after taking home the hardware for ALCS and World Series MVP as a rookie.

And while Pena hasn't taken a big step forward in 2023, several of his stats have improved this season, including his on base percentage and batting average. He's also posted a .330 batting average over his last 30 games and has a slugging percentage over .500 in his last 15 games.

It appears Pena is getting hot at just the right time, with only about a month left in the regular season.

Plus, we can't help but compare Pena to former Astros shortstop Carlos Correa. You might be surprised to learn that Pena currently has a higher OPS and batting average than Correa, and that comes at a fraction of the cost.

Be sure to watch the video above as we discuss Pena's offensive surge over the last month and what we should reasonably expect from him moving forward.

If you enjoy the videos, subscribe on YouTube for our latest content.

Listen to The Bench with John Granato and Lance Zierlein weekday mornings on ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 FM.

Most Popular

Texans hammer the Chargers, 32-12. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Eric Murray returned one of Justin Herbert's career-high four interceptions for a touchdown, C.J. Stroud threw a TD pass and the Houston Texans rolled past the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in a wild-card playoff game Saturday.

Be sure to watch the video below as the crew from Texans on Tap reacts live to the big win!

It’s the second straight year Stroud and the Texans (11-7) won in the first round after they beat Cleveland last season.

Herbert threw just three interceptions in the regular season and had never thrown more than two in a game before facing a Texans secondary led by AP All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley, who had two INTs. Kamari Lassiter had the other pick.

The Chargers (11-7), who returned to the playoffs under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, lost in the wild-card round for a second straight time after also losing in the 2022 season to remain without a postseason win since 2018.

Stroud threw for 282 yards with the touchdown pass to Nico Collins and an interception. Collins finished with seven catches for 122 yards. Joe Mixon ran for 106 yards and a score.

Herbert was 14 of 32 for 242 yards with a 40.9 passer rating.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM