Astros have to get more out of Jeremy Peña if they want to hold off the Mariners

In the 2022 postseason, Jeremy Peña made an enemy out of everyone in the Pacific Northwest when he slugged a go-ahead home run against the Mariners in Seattle’s first playoff game in 21 years. He’s going to need to provide more of those signature moments this year if the Houston Astros want to try to hold off the Mariners in the race to take the American League West crown. 

While Peña put together a great start to the season for the Astros, he hasn’t looked the same since he returned from a fractured rib at the beginning of the month. In fact, he’s hitting just .241 with two home runs and four RBI in 14 August games, which just simply isn’t cutting it for an Astros team that’s in the thick of a tight postseason race. 

Astros have to get more out of Jeremy Peña if they want to hold off the Mariners

But, as of late, that race has been a race to the bottom. While the Astros have lost four games in a row thanks to some uncharacteristically sloppy play, the Mariners have been even worse, as they’ve lost five in a row on a rough East Coast road trip. 

Perhaps the most alarming part of all of this is how Peña’s struggles have coincided with the Astros’ struggles as a whole. Carlos Correa and Ramón Urías have helped lead the charge since being acquired at the deadline, but far too many familiar faces have struggled, Peña chief among them. 

Their lineup has combined to be 19 points below average according to wRC+ across the 18 games they’ve played in August, which makes sense their 18 home runs and 59 runs scored are both the second-worst marks for a team across the month. 

Earlier this season, Peña was performing so well that it looked like he might have a legitimate shot to dethrone Bobby Witt Jr. for the title of the best shortstop in the American League. But now he’s looking more pedestrian than ever at a time when the Astros need him to take over. 

Things may get a little better soon thanks to Yordan Alvarez’s impending return from his rehab assignment, there’s only so much he’ll be able to do, especially since he’s not going to be in a position where he’ll be available to play everyday. Peña made himself a household name with his majestic blast in 2022. He’ll need to provide more of those moments over the next month if the Astros want to earn a chance to play in October. 

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