​Jeremy Peña has proved to be a catalyst atop the Astros’ lineup for two straight seasons, but had an injury-marred 2026 and is heading into the last year of team control. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle)
Fourth in a series on the Houston Astros’ 2026 season, which ended with an AL West title but a sweep in the opening round of the playoffs.ShortstopOn May 18, Jeremy Peña returned from a five-week injury absence to a Houston Astros team 10 games under .500. From that date through the end of July, just four qualified American League hitters posted a higher OPS than the shortstop. On Aug. 1, the Astros were a game above .500 and atop the AL West.It illustrated Peña’s impact as the Astros’ sparkplug. For a second straight season, Peña was one of Houston’s most productive hitters, albeit with injuries and a late slump hindering his opportunity to mount a full encore to last year’s All-Star campaign.Carlos Correa, Nick Allen and Braden Shewmake were among those who filled in at shortstop in Peña’s absence. Overall, the Astros extracted 4.8 wins above replacement at shortstop, per Baseball Reference, sixth-highest in the majors and their second-highest mark at a non-pitching position after DH.What went rightWhen healthy, Peña again proved a catalyst as a leadoff hitter. The Astros went 59-49 and averaged 4.8 runs per game with Peña in the starting lineup. When he was absent, they were 22-32 and averaged 4.1 runs per game.Peña ranked third among Astros hitters in OPS-plus (124) and second in runs scored (82) while taking their sixth-most plate appearances. His average dipped 27 points and his OPS fell 38 points from last season. But he matched his 2025 slugging percentage (.477) and his career high of 22 home runs, the latter despite taking a career-low 447 at-bats.Led by that production, the Astros ranked fourth in the majors in offensive bWAR at shortstop and fifth in weighted runs created-plus at the position. Their shortstops ranked third in slugging, fourth in batting average and first in runs scored. Correa contributed by posting an .802 OPS in his 91 plate appearances as shortstop.
Injuries were an issue for Jeremy Peña in 2026. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle)
What went wrongVarious injuries limited Peña to 112 games. He began the season building up from a fractured fingertip sustained in an exhibition with Team Dominican Republic and played in 10 games before a hamstring strain sidelined him for five weeks. He also had a 10-day IL stint for a calf strain in early July.In the second half, Peña endured a brutal and prolonged slump. Over 35 games from Aug. 3 through Sept. 13, Peña batted .170 with a .518 OPS and a 32.7% strikeout rate. The Astros averaged 3.8 runs per game in that stretch. Peña then batted .353 with a 1.064 OPS in his final 12 games of the season.His defensive metrics, meanwhile, took a step backward. Peña, a Gold Glove winner in 2022, accrued a career-low minus-5 runs saved at shortstop, per Sports In