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The rivalry between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees is well established. Multiple high profile matchups during the postseason, most of which the Astros dominated, is a big reason why the rivalry exists. There's also the lingering bad feelings from Houston's sign stealing scandal which fans in the Bronx can't seem to let go of. An unexpected wrinkle, however, in the rivalry emerged thanks to Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña.
Peña can be a bit of a polarizing figure among Astros fans. He's a postseason hero and generally a steady contributor thanks to his defensive ability and occasional pop at the plate. His .707 career OPS, however, is nothing special and his aggressive approach at the dish has earned him the ire of some Astros fans.
The debate over Peña's standing among the Astros fanbase isn't likely to end anytime soon. When asked about a play he made against the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this week, Peña revealed that it was his favorite play to make, and that he models it after one his favorite childhood players, Yankees' Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.
Astros fans will be conflicted after learning Jeremy Peña idolizes ex-Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter
In all fairness to Peña, Jeter was, and still is, an extremely popular player. Considering Peña grew up in the Northeast, this shouldn't be overly surprising to anyone. Peña moved to Rhode Island at the age of nine, a time when Jeter was one of the best players in Major League Baseball.
Jeremy Peña: "I love the jump throw. That’s my play. I love making that play. It doesn’t matter who’s running. I grew up watching Derek Jeter and every time we made that throw, you’d yell ‘Jeter!’ I still yell it in my head when I jump - 'Jeter!'" pic.twitter.com/swc3ANSE4g
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 23, 2025
Still, it does feel a little bit gross to hear Peña fawn over Jeter, doesn't it? Jeter was famous for his jump throws from short, but might we recommend that Peña look elsewhere for defensive tips. Jeter made some iconic plays to be sure, but was also the most overrated defender in modern baseball history, and most of his Gold Gloves were clearly little more than lifetime achievement awards rather than of being awarded on actual merit.
No matter where Peña got his tips and inspiration, he is off to a strong start to 2025. Astros fans would appreciate it if he started hitting like Jeter, but Peña is still a valuable player, and will remain so as long as he keeps playing better defense than the former Yankees captain.