Former UMainer Leads Houston Astros to World Series Title, Wins MVP

The Houston Astors are World Series Champs

The magical rookie year for former University of Maine Baseball standout and current Houston Astros starter Jeremy Peña has finally finished. And boy did it finish in style.

A Rookie Wins World Series MVP

Not only did he help lead the Houston Astros to another World Series title, but Peña was also named MVP of the series.

It was simply an unforgettable playoff run for the rookie, who took home honors of MVP in both the ALCS and World Series. He also becomes the first rookie positional player to ever win the World Series MVP. Not bad for the former Black Bear.

Jeremy Peña's Career

Peña's story is a tremendous one to begin with. The Rhode Islander was drafted out of high school in the 39th Round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. However, Peña opted to go to college in hopes of improving his game and chances. He would play three years in Orono and was an absolute stud.

After an exceptional run at UMaine, Peña was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2018 Draft by the Houston Astros. Three years of solid play in the minors gave him the opportunity to take over for the exiting All-Star Carlos Correa at starting shortstop. Those are quite the gigantic shoes to fill.

However, Peña performed solidly in his rookie season. He finished with a batting average of .253, with 22 home runs and 63 RBI. He also had one of the highlights of the year when he went yard for his first career home run as his parents were being interviewed.

Next up for the Gold Glover is a victory parade with the rest of his Astros squad. I'm sure it will be quite the spectacle in downtown Houston. What a run for the Astros. What a year for Jeremy Peña.