Jeremy Peña, the atypical MLB MVP

Houston got the second World Series in its history after beating the Phillies 4-2 in the series and the figure was the Dominican Jeremy Peña. The shortstop already shows off the MLB ring in his debut season in the Major Leagues, a rather unusual story in professional baseball.

The recognitions were not long in coming as well as historical marks. He entered a prestigious list by being the fifth Dominican MVP of a World Series, as if this were not enough, he is the first rookie shortstop to obtain the Gold Glove and he is also only the second rookie to be chosen MVP of the Championship Series and of the Fall Classic in MLB history. In addition to this, he is the first batter to get all three awards in one career and has the added value of doing it as a rookie.

“The hardest thing was blocking out everything that wasn’t part of the game (…) There’s a saying that you can’t sink a ship with the water around it. If it sinks it’s because the water gets in. So I just You have to stay strong and keep the water out of my head,” said the Houston player after winning against Philadelphia.

Originally from Santo Domingo, it was at the age of nine that the player came to the United States with his family and from an early age he showed his skills on the diamond. At 15 years old, he was selected by the Atlanta Braves with the 39th overall pick in the 2015 draft, however he did not sign on to enroll at the University of Maine where he earned a spot on the All-Rookie team in the American Eastern Conference in 2016 and, as a senior in college baseball, he earned US East Second Team honors.

The Astros chose him in the third round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft and gradually pushed him to get to the first team in the best shape. During his time in the minor leagues he managed to be named an All-Star player in two seasons. He also can boast two consecutive Gold Gloves as a shortstop in the Dominican Professional Baseball League before his big debut.

Already with a good career as a professional, in Houston they decided to make him a starter after the departure of Carlos Correa, recognized as an emblem of the team and an important part of the 2017 World Series. Prior to the start of the season, many fans and experts questioned how much The departure of the Puerto Rican from the Astros was going to weigh and the answer was given by Jeremy Peña himself, who did not surprise his compatriot in the position.

The Dominican’s numbers, especially in the postseason, speak for themselves: 14 games. 20 hits and two doubles connected, four home runs, eight RBIs and a batting average of .345.

José Urquidy joins the list of Mexican World Series winners

The Houston team had a Mexican element in its ranks when it won the Fall Classic in 2022, pitcher José Urquidy, who became the 15th player from the country to boast a World Series among his titles.

The pitcher’s participation went from more to less throughout the season, in the playoffs he hardly had any activity, however he already left a mark in the history of national baseball. It should be noted that he is the first Mexican player to play three World Series and now he celebrates it by winning the MLB ring.

Julio Urías and Víctor González are the players with the last antecedent before Mazatlan, as they won the Fall Classic with the Yankees in 2020 against Tampa Bay Rays.

Mexican World Series winners:

• Horacio Pina (Oakland Athletics) – 1973
• Enrique Romo (Pirate Pittsburgh) – 1979
• Fernando Valenzuela (Dodgers) – 1981
• Aurelio Lopez (Tigers) – 1984
• Jorge Orta (Kansas City Royals) – 1985
• Erubiel Durazo (Arizona Diamondbacks) – 2001
• Benjamin Gil (Anaheim Angels) – 2002
• Ramiro Pena (New York Yankees) – 2009
• Alfredo Aceves (New York Yankees) – 2009
• Sergio Romo (San Francisco Giants) – 2010, 2012 and 2014
• Jaime Garcia (Saint Louis Cardinals) – 2011
• Fernando Salas (Saint Louis Cardinals) – 2011
• Hector Velazquez (Boston Red Sox) – 2018
• Víctor González (Dodgers) – 2020
• Julio Urias (Dodgers) – 2020
• Jose Urquidy (Astros) – 2022

yoshua.navarro@eleconomista.mx