3 Astros players who’ll be better in 2023, and 2 who won’t
By Tim Boyle
Why Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena will have a better year in 2023
Remove the playoffs from Jeremy Pena last year and his rookie campaign was just alright. He won a Gold Glove, finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year vote, and did it with a .715 OPS. Pena showed a lot of positive signs during the regular season, carving out a niche as a playoff hero when the postseason arrived.
Carrying momentum through the winter and into the following regular season is no guarantee. It’s also hard to deny Pena should feel more confident than ever. He won the ALCS and World Series MVPs. Nobody had a better postseason than him. Unbelievably, it was year one on his journey and it came while replacing franchise legend Carlos Correa.
Pena has a chance to become one of the best shortstops in the game in 2023. Forget all of the big names who hit free agency this offseason and found new homes. It’s the guy on the Astros roster who can do everything they can do and a few of those things better.
A little more discipline at the plate will go a long way for Pena to become a top-five shortstop in the game. He walked only 22 times in 558 trips to the plate. He added 135 strikeouts in his 136 games. It’s not unusual for a first-year player to have numbers like these. Imagine what a dangerous weapon he’ll be once his eye improves.