Last Updated on 10/27/2022 by てんしょく飯
The World Series will finally begin on October 28 (local time). The Houston Astros have won the A-League championship for the fourth time in the last six years, but if there is one difference, it is that their new heroes have made a significant contribution. It was rookie Jeremy Pena, making his debut this season, who was named MVP of the series after hitting .176 with two homers and a 1.176 OPS in the four games of the A-League Championship Series, helping the Astros to their fourth straight win over the Yankees.
Pena’s performance in this series was tremendous.
In Game 1, he had three hits, including a no-doubt homer in the seventh inning. In Game 4, he gave up the tying run in the 3rd inning after trailing 0-3 to get the game back on track. After he was named MVP, Pena said, “It’s hard to believe it’s real,” but his many offensive and defensive plays were also unbelievable.
Pena’s performance was more than just a rookie boost to the team. Last offseason, the Astros lost longtime regular Carlos Correa, who became a free agent and went to the Twins for three years and $105.3 million. Correa, who was paid $35.1 million this season, had designated Pena as his successor. Correa said in May of this year.
When we practiced catching bunts together in spring training last year, I said to him, ‘Next year, you’re going to play this position. I told him, ‘You could be playing this position next year. （And when we lost the World Series, I said, ‘Hey, Pena. Next year you’re going to be a regular. So you better get ready for the off-season.”
Pena heeded the advice of his great predecessor. He made his major league debut in the season opener, starting as the No. 7 shortstop. His 136 plate appearances and 22 home runs are exactly the same numbers as Correa’s this season. His DRS, which shows how many runs he prevented with his defense, was much higher than Correa’s (15 for Pena and 3 for Correa).
Then came the playoffs. In the second game of the district series against the Mariners, Pena met Correa again. Correa was guest commentating at the game and interviewed Pena during the game. The two did not talk about personal matters, but Pena’s eyes looked happy when he heard Correa’s voice. Note that Pena had two hits in the game, contributing to the win.
The Astros won their first world championship in 2017, thanks in part to Correa’s performance, but it was later discovered that the entire team was involved in sign-stealing. For that reason, the entire team must be filled with the desire to win a “clean World Series” in this year’s World Series.
Of course, Pena was not involved in the sign-stealing in 2017. That said, his presence is important in a team that still has many of its main players from 2005. Will the 25-year-old rookie be able to help “clear his name” on the big stage of the World Series?
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