There was, perhaps, some concern about a drop-off in production at the position when longtime shortstop Carlos Correa left the Astros for the Twins as a free agent last offseason. Jeremy Peña has made that departure feel much less significant.
If not for a huge season for rookies in the American League, Peña might have been more in the discussion for Rookie of the Year in 2022 after he posted a .253/.289/.426 slash line, with 22 home runs, stole 11 bases and played Gold Glove defense in his first MLB season.
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That impact has not stopped in the playoffs. Peña was named ALCS MVP after posting a 1.176 OPS and a pair of home runs. He has a hit in each of the Astros' five World Series games, including a first-inning RBI single and a fourth-inning go-ahead home run in Houston's 3-2 Game 5 victory over the Phillies.
The home run made history that almost feels improbable. Peña became the first rookie shortstop ever to hit a home run in a World Series game, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Peña had posted a .745 OPS in the first four games of the Fall Classic.
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Big-name rookies have play in World Series, particularly in recent years, though few have had the impact Peña has had in 2022. The Sporting News takes a look back at some of the best performances by a rookie shortstop in World Series history.
Recent rookie shortstop performances in World Series history
Xander Bogaerts
Year: 2013 vs. Cardinals
Stats: 23 PA, .238/.261/.333, 2 RBIs, 2 R, 1 3B
Bogaerts was not used much in his first big league stint in 2013, and he even retained rookie eligibility heading into the 2014 season after only 44 regular-season at-bats. In the playoffs, Bogaerts had to wait until Game 6 of the ALCS to get his first start. But he was the starter at shortstop throughout the World Series and was relatively quiet, driving in a pair while posting just a .594 OPS.
Pete Kozma
Year: 2013 vs. Red Sox
Stats: 11 PA, .000/.000/.000, 1 R, 1 SH
The rookie starting opposite Bogaerts in the World Series was Kozma, a defensive-first shortstop who had already had two short stints in the big leagues. During the regular season, Kozma posted a .217/.275/.273 line with one home run for the Cardinals. He started all but three of St. Louis' 18 postseason games, but he had only five hits in the NLDS and NLCS and none in the World Series.
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Troy Tulowitzki
Year: 2007 vs. Red Sox
Stats: 15 PA, .231/.333/.385, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 2B
Tulowitzki finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting and was a major reason why the Rockies reached their first World Series. But his postseason was largely quiet. He had just a .718 OPS in the World Series and a .555 OPS in the NLDS and NLCS as his team swept through the first two rounds.
Derek Jeter
Year: 1996 vs. Braves
Stats: 26 PA, .250/.400/.250, 1 RBI, 5 R, 0 XBH
Jeter won the AL Rookie of the Year for his .314/.370/.430 slash line, 10 home runs and 14 stolen bases. And while he was impressive in the ALDS and ALCS (.976 OPS, one home run), he was considerably more quiet in the World Series. He had just a .650 OPS in the Yankees' six-game series win. He did tally at least one hit in four of the six games, though
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Kevin Stocker
Year: 1993 vs. Blue Jays
Stats: 24 PA, .211/.375/.263, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 2B
The last time the Phillies started a rookie shortstop in the World Series? That would be Stocker in 1993 against the Blue Jays. Stocker finished sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting after slashing .324/.409/.417 in 70 games during the regular season, but he was a bit quiet leading up to the World Series. He had four hits in Games 2 and 3 of the NLCS but was hitless in all other NLCS games. He had hits in four of the six World Series games but never had multiple hits and only had one extra-base hit.
