How Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve guided Jeremy Peña's Astros breakout

By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst

Heading into the 2022 MLB campaign, nobody had bigger shoes to fill than Houston Astros rookie Jeremy Peña.

After five straight American League Championship Series appearances, the Astros had lost their superstar shortstop, Carlos Correa.

In Houston, Correa was a Rookie of the Year, a two-time All-Star, a Gold Glove, a larger-than-life personality and one of the most clutch players with some of the most memorable moments in Astros history.

Peña was tasked with filling Correa's shoes. While working to do so, he has relied on his teammates' advice and expertise.

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This week on "Flippin' Bats," I chatted with Peña about the pressure of taking over at shortstop in Houston, the help he has received from teammates and much more.

I asked Pena about the transition from last season, having Correa in the organization, to this season, with no one in his way.

Turns out Correa was a big part of that process. He called Peña after the season ended and shared some words of advice.

"He told me to go to winter ball. Do what I have to do. Get ready. And come ready next year to compete for a position next year," Peña said of their conversation.

And so, as Correa left for the Twins in free agency, Peña played winter ball in the Dominican Republic and got himself ready to compete in spring training for the big-league shortstop spot.

He, of course, won that job and hasn’t looked back since, even with all the hype and pressure along the way.

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I also asked Peña who on the team has mentored him and taken him under their wing this season.

"They all have," he said with a laugh. "They all have in their own way. Some of them I talk about approach. Some of them I talk mechanics. Some I talk fielding.

"They all put their grain of salt into me. It’s awesome. … It’s awesome. I feel like I can go up to any player and ask them for advice, and I know I’m going to get a genuine response."

That advice has clearly worked. Not only is Peña in great position to potentially win AL Rookie of the Year, but he also might be on his way to his first All-Star Game appearance in his first season in the big leagues.

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Perhaps the best advice he got this year came from Jose Altuve. "First day in Anaheim," Peña recalled, "he said, ‘This is a marathon, not a sprint. Show up the next day, and put that work in.'

"I take that with me every day."

That’s the theme of this season for the 24-year-old. There were some massive shoes to fill, but his teammates knew that and wanted to help him along.

And two months into the season, Jeremy Peña has done nothing but succeed.

Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @BenVerlander.