Jeremy Peña Bio
Jeremy Joan Peña is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on September 22, 1997, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, he moved with his family to Providence, Rhode Island, when he was nine years old. He attended Classical High School in Providence and later played college baseball at the University of Maine, where he developed into one of the top shortstop prospects in the 2018 draft class. The Houston Astros selected him in the third round of the 2018 MLB draft, and he made his major league debut on Opening Day 2022.
Peña wasted little time establishing himself at the highest level. In 2022, he became the first rookie shortstop in MLB history to win a Gold Glove Award and the first rookie shortstop to hit a home run in the World Series. That championship run earned him both the American League Championship Series (ALCS) Most Valuable Player award and the World Series Most Valuable Player award, making him the first American League player to capture both honors in the same year. In 2025, he was selected to his first MLB All-Star Game, cementing his place among the game’s elite shortstops.
Early Life and Background
Jeremy Joan Peña was born on September 22, 1997, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He is the son of Gerónimo Peña, a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians from 1990 to 1996. Growing up in a household steeped in baseball, Jeremy was introduced to the sport at a young age by his father, whose professional career served as both inspiration and roadmap.
When Jeremy was nine years old, his family relocated to Providence, Rhode Island, where he attended Classical High School. He played baseball and also ran track and cross country, demonstrating the kind of athleticism that would later define his professional profile. As a junior in 2014, he batted .352, and as a senior in 2015, he hit .390 with two home runs. That senior season drew the attention of Major League scouts.
Following his senior year, the Atlanta Braves selected Peña in the 39th round of the 2015 MLB draft, but he did not sign. Instead, he chose to enroll at the University of Maine, where he would spend three years refining his game and building the foundation for a professional career.
Path to Baseball
At the University of Maine, Peña quickly established himself as a cornerstone of the Black Bears baseball program. As a freshman in 2016, he started and played in 55 games, batting .283 with one home run, 15 runs batted in, and 11 stolen bases. His strong debut earned him a spot on the America East Conference All-Rookie Team, and that summer he played in the New England Collegiate Baseball League with the Plymouth Pilgrims.
Peña’s sophomore year in 2017 brought further progress, as he started 54 games and hit .319 with six home runs and 32 runs batted in. He then spent the summer with the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he earned All-Star honors and gained valuable experience against top amateur competition. In 2018, as a junior, he started another 54 games, hitting .308/.393/.469 with five home runs, 28 runs batted in, and ten stolen bases, earning American East Second-Team honors.
His three years at Maine, combined with his high school pedigree, made him one of the more polished shortstops in the 2018 draft class. The Houston Astros selected him in the third round, and he signed with the organization, beginning his climb through the minor leagues.
Jeremy Peña Career
Minor League Years (2018–2021)
After signing with the Houston Astros, Peña made his professional debut in 2018 with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Class A Short Season New York-Penn League. He batted .250 with one home run and ten runs batted in over 36 games, earning All-Star honors in his first professional season. The following year, he began with the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Class A Midwest League, where he was again named an All-Star before being promoted in June to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League. Over 109 games between the two levels in 2019, he slashed .303/.385/.440 with seven home runs, 54 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases, then capped the year with a stint in the Arizona Fall League with the Peoria Javelinas.
The 2020 minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, costing Peña valuable development time. In 2021, he underwent surgery on his left wrist on April 21, sidelining him for part of the year. He was activated off the injured list in late August and assigned to the Sugar Land Skeeters of Triple-A West, where he slashed .287/.346/.598 with ten home runs and 19 runs batted in over 30 games. Following the 2021–22 Dominican Professional Baseball League season, he was awarded a second consecutive Gold Glove at shortstop.
Houston Astros (2022–Present)
On November 19, 2021, the Houston Astros selected Peña’s contract and added him to their 40-man roster. After the departure of incumbent shortstop Carlos Correa via free agency, Peña was named the starting shortstop during 2022 spring training. He made his major league debut on Opening Day against the Los Angeles Angels. On April 8, 2022, he hit his first major league home run while his parents were being interviewed during the broadcast, a memorable introduction for the rookie. On April 24, he hit his first career walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays, helping the Astros to an 8–7 win.
Over the 2022 regular season, Peña batted .253/.289/.426 with 132 hits, 22 home runs, 63 runs batted in, 72 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 22 walks, and 135 strikeouts. He tied Carlos Correa for the franchise rookie record for most home runs by a shortstop, ranked second in home runs among major league rookies, and posted the fastest sprint speed on the Astros at 29.4 feet per second. Defensively, he ranked second in the American League in Defensive Wins Above Replacement at 2.4 and played 134 games at shortstop, starting 132 of them.
Peña’s postseason debut came in the American League Division Series, where he homered in the top of the 18th inning off Penn Murfee to clinch a 1–0 sweep of the Seattle Mariners in the longest shutout game in postseason history. He was named ALCS Most Valuable Player after hitting .353 with two home runs in a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees. In Game 5 of the World Series, he homered off Noah Syndergaard of the Philadelphia Phillies to become the first rookie shortstop to hit a home run in World Series play. The Astros won the World Series in six games, and Peña became the third rookie ever to be named World Series Most Valuable Player and the first American League player to win both LCS and World Series MVP honors in the same year.
In 2023, Peña played a career-high 150 games and set new personal bests with 152 hits, 81 runs scored, 32 doubles, 13 stolen bases, and 43 walks, batting .263/.324/.381 in 634 plate appearances. Defensively, he led American League shortstops in putouts, assists, and double plays turned. In 2024, he batted .266/.308/.394 with 15 home runs, 70 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases, and led Major League Baseball in infield hits with 31.
Driving Style and Strengths
Peña combines elite defensive range with above-average arm strength and reliable hands at shortstop, a profile that helped him capture a Gold Glove in his rookie year. Offensively, he has shown a knack for timely hitting, particularly in the postseason, where his power production and composure have set him apart. His speed plays in the field and on the basepaths, while his athleticism, originally honed through high school track and cross country, gives him one of the fastest sprint speeds in the league.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Peña’s signature moments are his first major league home run on April 8, 2022, hit while his parents were being interviewed on the broadcast, his walk-off home run against the Toronto Blue Jays later that month, and his 18th-inning home run in the 2022 American League Division Series that ended the longest shutout game in postseason history. His World Series Game 5 home run made him the first rookie shortstop to homer in the Fall Classic, and his dual Most Valuable Player awards in 2022 established him as one of the most decorated rookies in baseball history.
Jeremy Peña Career Wins
Jeremy Peña has built an impressive list of accomplishments in a short major league career, highlighted by the 2022 World Series championship with the Houston Astros. He is one of only a handful of rookies to ever be named World Series Most Valuable Player and one of just nine players overall, and the first in the American League, to win both the League Championship Series and World Series Most Valuable Player awards in the same year.
Major League Highlights
Peña’s 2022 season stands as the defining chapter of his early career. He won a Gold Glove Award at shortstop, becoming the first Astros rookie and the first rookie shortstop in MLB history to receive the honor. He was named the Most Valuable Player of both the American League Championship Series and the World Series, helping Houston to a championship in six games over the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2023, he set career highs across most major offensive categories, and in 2025, he was selected to his first MLB All-Star Game as a reserve infielder for the American League.
Other Performances
Beyond his major league accomplishments, Peña earned multiple All-Star selections in the minor leagues, including honors with the Tri-City ValleyCats in 2018 and the Quad Cities River Bandits in 2019. He was named to the America East Conference All-Rookie Team in 2016 at the University of Maine and earned All-Star honors in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2017. He was also awarded a second consecutive Dominican Professional Baseball League Gold Glove at shortstop following the 2021–22 season.
Jeremy Peña Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Jeremy Joan Peña was born into a baseball family. His father, Gerónimo Peña, is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians from 1990 to 1996. Gerónimo’s professional career gave Jeremy an early and intimate view of the game’s demands, and the family home became a place where fundamentals and a love of the sport were emphasized from a young age.
Personal Life
Jeremy Peña has been in a relationship with Julia Grosso, a member of the Canada women’s national soccer team, since December 2024. The two have been seen together at public events, and their relationship has drawn coverage in both baseball and soccer media circles. Peña resides in Providence, Rhode Island, the city where he attended high school and that presented him with the Key to the City in 2022.
2025 Season Performance
Jeremy Peña opened the 2025 season as the everyday shortstop for the Houston Astros. On January 9, 2025, the Astros signed him to a $4.1 million contract for the season, avoiding arbitration. From April 8 to April 23, he put together a career-high 14-game hitting streak and hit safely in 23 of 24 games during that stretch, signaling the strong rhythm that had defined his All-Star-caliber form. On May 14, he collected four hits against the Kansas City Royals, including a go-ahead single in the eighth inning that secured a 4–3 win. On May 22, he tripled in two runs for his 500th career hit at Daikin Park against Seattle Mariners starter George Kirby.
On June 27, Peña sustained a rib fracture as the result of a hit by pitch, and the Astros placed him on the 10-day injured list. His production prior to the injury had been strong enough to earn him his first career All-Star selection, and on July 6 he was announced as a reserve infielder for the American League at the MLB All-Star Game.
With the Astros firmly in the American League playoff picture, Peña’s return from the injured list is expected to bolster a Houston lineup chasing another deep postseason run. His combination of Gold Glove-caliber defense, power at the plate, and prior postseason heroics gives the club a steadying presence up the middle, and his 2025 All-Star nod reinforces his standing among the top shortstops in the American League heading into the stretch run.