The Astros’ Infield Wound Up With the Best of Both Worlds

Correa was reunited with the team that helped him blossom into a star, while the Astros added a superstar-level bat to the middle of their order to further their World Series aspirations. At this point, third baseman Isaac Paredes had just gone down for the remainder of the year. However, the Astros found a way to replace him with the former face of their franchise.

Somehow, the Houston Astros paired their current and former shortstops of the future to form one of the best left sides of the infield in all of baseball.

Peña and Correa Are Both Impressing in 2025

Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Peña broke onto the scene in 2022 when he posted a 3.3-fWAR rookie season, capped off with a World Series MVP. He looked like the future for the Astros at the shortstop position and provided a sense of stability for the fanbase.

However, he saw some serious regression in years two and three. While the defense was still fine, it had taken a step back, and the bat wasn’t as reliable as it was in his rookie campaign.

Fast-forward to 2025, and rookie-season Peña has returned in even better form. With 18 games left to play, he’s already blown his previous career-high fWAR out of the water with 5.0 fWAR. This is in large part due to his bat taking a monstrous step forward.

Jeremy Peña’s Offense

As you can see, the 27-year-old has seen vast improvement in every major statistical category. Peña has fully broken out as one of the premier shortstops in all of baseball, and it makes sense why he remained Houston’s shortstop once Correa made his way back over.

Carlos Correa

Unlike Peña, Carlos Correa has been doing this for a while. Even though he’s struggled to stay healthy, he’s been one of the game’s premier mashers at shortstop when on the field. In only 86 games in 2024, he somehow racked up 4.2 fWAR with a 155 wRC+.

While 2025 wasn’t looking like his best season statistically at the time of the deadline, he has really picked it up since then.

There’s no question that the star has enjoyed his return to Houston. Since coming back, he’s been better in every area. Not to mention, the Astros look to make a deep run this postseason, and Correa is one of the best playoff performers of this generation.

This deadline acquisition looks like an absolute win in every facet when looking into the numbers and how excited fans are to have him back.

Final Thoughts

What was looking like a clean break between Houston and their former franchise player has turned into one of the more intriguing full-circle moments in baseball history. Peña has truly blossomed into the type of player Houston hoped he would be, while Correa has returned to inject a mix of nostalgia and proven star power.

This has provided the Astros with a reminder of the franchise’s golden years while raising the ceiling for the current roster’s present and future. Having both of these guys on the left side of the infield is a luxury that has helped the team turn what was once an unbearable loss into an undeniable strength.

As October hangs in the shadows, the Astros now have one of the deeper rosters in baseball with a story that feels destined for a dramatic ending.