Jeremy Peña—PawSox Fan, Rhode Island Native, and World Series MVP
World Series Champion, World Series MVP, and American League Championship Series MVP are some titles that apply to Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña, but very few know that "Providence, Rhode Island native" and "Pawtucket Red Sox fan" could also be tacked onto the young infielder’s impressive résumé.
World Series Champion, World Series MVP, and American League Championship Series MVP are some titles that apply to Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña, but very few know that "Providence, Rhode Island native" and "Pawtucket Red Sox fan" could also be tacked onto the young infielder’s impressive résumé.
Peña, who was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 3rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft, quickly rose to popularity in 2022 when he and the rest of the Astros hoisted the World Series trophy after beating the Philadelphia Phillies. Leading the team in both home runs and RBIs in the ALCS and hitting .400 in the six-game World Series, Peña proved himself to be one of Houston’s strongest assets, even becoming the first-ever rookie shortstop to win a Gold Glove Award.
But before his extraordinary rookie season, Peña was just a kid from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, by way of Providence, Rhode Island. He played ball at Classical High School in Providence, attracting scouts from all over the nation. Growing up in northern Rhode Island, Peña did what many other Rhode Islanders did for fun and frequented McCoy Stadium—the former home of the Red Sox' Triple-A team.
According to WooSox President Dr. Charles Steinberg—who spoke with Peña when the Boston Red Sox hosted the Houston Astros and presented WooSox Chairman Larry Lucchino with the Jimmy Fund Award—Peña “loved” watching the PawSox as a kid. Unbeknownst to him while he was watching the PawSox, he was also watching his future Astros teammate, Christian Vázquez.
When the Puerto Rican catcher was traded to Houston last year, it marked the end of Vázquez’s eight-year stretch in the Red Sox organization. With Boston, Vázquez was an integral part of the 2018 season and World Series, even catching the final strike from Chris Sale to make the final out and seal the victory. Vázquez was rostered with Pawtucket in 2014, so there very well could have been a high school-aged Peña looking on from McCoy’s bleachers, completely unaware that one day he would be a World Series champion alongside one of the players on the field.
Steinberg said that Peña did not remember watching Vázquez in Rhode Island, however he did recall watching former Red Sox top prospect Josh Reddick. The outfielder shuffled between Pawtucket and Boston from 2009 to 2011, right around the time Peña was in junior high.
Coming from the small state of Rhode Island, Peña has already solidified himself as a top young talent in Major League Baseball at only 25 years old. He has one year left in his contract with the Astros, so there is a possibility that the infielder from Providence could hit free agency before 2024.