Quarterly Report

Houston's 5 most influential sports figures for the first quarter of 2019

Houston's 5 most influential sports figures for the first quarter of 2019
Kelvin Sampson. Jackson Gatlin/SportsMap

Houston has no shortage of big-name superstars and top flight coaches. The Astros alone could make up a top five list. As the first quarter of 2019 winds down, here is who has had the biggest impact so far this season.

No. 5: Deshaun Watson

Bob Levey/Getty Images

The Texans disappointed in their playoff game with the Colts, but Watson did lead them to 11 wins, played a full season and should improve. He will likely get knocked off the list once the Astros are playing again, but for now, here he is.

No. 4: Alex Bregman

No, he hasn't played meaningful minute in 2019. But his new contract puts him in the elite level of Houston athletes. He is now the second highest paid Astro behind Jose Altuve, and tied for the second highest ever. It is a six-year, $100 million extension and keeps him an Astro until he turns 30. Leave it to Bregman to crash the off-season party.

No. 3 Tilman Fertitta

Fertitta CenterTilman Fertitta made the Fertitta Center a reality. Houston Cougars Men's Hoops Facebook

Fertitta is not just the Rockets owner, he is on the board at UH and and helped oversee a resurrection of men's hoops thanks to the opening of the Fertitta Center. Now if he can just get a hockey team...

No. 2 Kelvin Sampson

Kelvin Sampson has the Cougars rolling. Bob Levey/Getty Images

Kelvin Sampson's Cougars won the AAC regular season title, went 31-3 and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. No matter what happens, it has been an amazing season for the Cougars.

No. 1 James Harden

James Harden

James Harden.

A year after winning the MVP, Harden has picked up where he left off. He had an amazing scoring streak and helped carry the team through some midseason struggles. In short, he is still the man until someone knocks him off the perch.

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Jeremy Peña wants to get paid! Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.

Jeremy Peña is putting together the best season of his career, and it’s time to start asking some serious questions about what comes next.

After a strong rookie campaign and a magical playoff run in 2022, Peña has reemerged as one of the best shortstops in baseball. His numbers are now right in line with, and in some cases better than, Bobby Witt Jr., the player many consider the gold standard at the position. But Peña's resurgence isn't the only headline, he’s now officially signed with Scott Boras, baseball’s most powerful agent, signaling that a major payday could be on the horizon.

That decision raises real questions about Peña’s future in Houston. With just two years left on his deal, is he heading toward the same path as other homegrown stars who have ultimately walked in free agency? Or will the Astros finally reverse course and invest long-term in one of their own? The team’s payroll philosophy, built around letting expensive veterans leave while developing new talent, has worked for years. But Peña’s rise is testing just how far that system can stretch.

As his star continues to rise, the pressure is mounting. Will Houston commit to keeping him, or let another one slip away?

Be sure to watch the video below as ESPN Houston's Paul Gallant weighs in!

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