Astros Opening Day Lineup if Jeremy Pena Jumps to the Major Leagues

If Jeremy Pena is the starting shortstop for the Astros next season, what does the lineup look like?

Getting used to life without Carlos Correa means things will look different not only in the field, but also in the batting order for the Houston Astros.

So what will the Astros order look like in 2022 if Carlos Correa moves on and Jeremy Pena makes the big league club and sees the field? Pena has been identified as a successor to the top free agent shortstop, but there hasn’t been much chatter on who will take over if Correa signs else where.

Michael Brantley, Left Field

Generally, you want your best hitter to bat second, and Michael Brantley was comfortable in the two-hole in 2021, batting .309 in 372 at-bats from this spot. Brantley’s power was diminished in 2021, making an even stronger case for him to remain second in the lineup rather than third.

Alex Bregman, Third Base

Most of Alex Bregman’s injury-plagued 2021 season was spent in the three-hole where he hit .266. Bregman will need to get back to his career slash line of .281/.377/.507 to warrant this position in the lineup, and without Correa’s 27 long balls, the slugging Bregman from 2018 (31 home runs) and 2019 (41) is preferred.

If Bregman doesn’t return to pre-2021 form, we could see Yuli Gurriel in this spot as Gurriel hit .303 in 132 at-bats in the three-hole last season.

Yordan Alvarez, Designated Hitter

The big RBI man needs to be at this spot in the lineup and almost 82% of Yordan Alvarez’s 2021 at-bats were from the clean up spot and he smashed 26 home runs and drove in 76 runs from there. Alvarez hit only .276 from this position in the lineup though and while an increased average would be nice, this spot is where damage needs to be done.

Kyle Tucker, Right Field

Kyle Tucker moved around a good bit in the order in 2021, seeing at least 50 at-bats in at least four different places in the lineup. His best position was seventh (.316/.374/.556), but he also did well in sixth (.298/.355/.587), while floundering in his opportunities at cleanup (.195/.340/.341).

With Correa theoretically gone, Tucker moves up permanently and does damage with more men on and better protection behind him. In 81 at-bats, Tucker had six home runs and 16 RBI from the fifth spot while slashing .296/.360/.593.

Yuli Gurriel, First Base

The American League batting champ batting sixth? That tells you all you need to know about this Astros lineup. Yuli Gurriel spent the majority of last season in the three, four and five spots and while he thrived average-wise in the clean up spot (.398) his lack of power (one home run in 98 at-bats) is not optimal.

Projections for next season foresee a precipitous drop off and Gurriel regressing to the mean offensively. That remains to be seen, but you would think there’d be at least some regression for Gurriel who will turn 38-years-old in June.

Chas McCormick/Jake Meyers/Jose Siri, Center Field

With the injury to Jake Meyers, the Astros center field position is more unstable than we imagined, but it seems like whoever trots out there is destined for this spot in the lineup, at least to begin the season.

Chas McCormick saw at-bats at all nine positions in the lineup but mostly at seventh, where he hit .264. Myers struggled in the seven-hole (.214/.261/.262) while thriving in the eighth, slashing .293/.361/.480.

Siri had minimal plate appearances, but also performed better as the eighth place batter than when batting seventh. All have tiny sample sizes, so the numbers don’t mean a whole lot at this juncture, but given who’s ahead of them, there’s nowhere to go but down in this lineup. It’s also not out of the question that the Astros shop for a veteran center fielder.

Jeremy Pena, Shortstop

Injuries limited Pena to 37 minor-league games in 2021, but he did hit .297 and has a career minor league average of .291 in 690 at-bats. In 10 LIDOM (Dominican Winter League) games and 42 at-bats, Pena slashed .238/.250/.381 while striking out 11 times.

The Astros believe Pena will hit well enough to be a major-league starter, but the question remains whether that’s in 2022 or 2023. While the Astros expect Pena to have moderate power eventually, there will be an adjustment period when he hits the big-leagues. With the bats and experience ahead of him, if Pena makes the team he’s destined for the eight or nine-hole for the time being.

Martin Maldonado, Catcher

Outside of a few pinch-hitting opportunities, Martin Maldonado batted eighth or ninth this past season and was decidedly better, though better is relative, in the nine-hole.

Maldonado batted only .093 in 43 at-bats as the eighth place hitter and .184 with 12 home runs in 326 at-bats from the nine-hole. Maldonado offers some pop, though he was atrocious with runners in scoring position and in late/close situations.