When former MVP Jose Altuve, the face of the Houston Astros, praises a young teammate, people take notice.
Earlier this season, Altuve made a bold move: he gave up the leadoff spot he held since mid-2023 and insisted it be given to Astros’ $4.1 million rising slugger, Jeremy Peña.
A few months down the line, and it is paying off big time.
Why Jose Altuve Believes Jeremy Peña Is An All-Star and MVP Candidate
Following the Astros’ 10-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday, Altuve was full of praise for teammate Peña.
“I think he’s going to be an All-Star, and he’s going to be in the MVP conversation,” Altuve said, as reported by MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart.
Jose Altuve on Jeremy Peña: “I think he’s going to be an All-Star and he’s going to be in the MVP conversation.”
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) June 14, 2025
Peña, 27, is having a great all-around campaign, posting a career-best .333 batting average and .844 OPS, which provides much-needed stability to the current Astros lineup, which has been battling injuries and inconsistency.
The Reason Why Jose Altuve Gave Up Astros Leadoff Spot
The Athletic reported on April 28, 2025, that, upon Altuve’s request, his leadoff hitter spot was to be given to shortstop Peña, despite holding the spot in the lineup since June 17, 2023.
As 2017 AL MVP and nine-time All-Star, he is a man of immense stature and, as confirmed by Astros manager Joe Espada, who said Altuve “is always looking for ways to get everyone involved” and noted that he offers “really, really good ideas.” Promoting Peña was one such move, and it’s no wonder; the move turned out so well.
But what was the reason for Altuve giving up his leadoff spot? It comes down to the Astros’ early-season hitting struggles.
The Astros were ranked near the bottom of the league for runs scored in the first innings, with only the St. Louis Cardinals being worse. Their on-base percentage for the first three spots in the batting lineup in the first inning was .247, with only the Colorado Rockies having a lower one.
Jeremy Peña has a four-hit night and is hitting .333, among the best in Baseball. The man should be an All-Star.
pic.twitter.com/xPjIetgTCK— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) June 14, 2025
The reason is partly Altuve himself; he had worked six walks in his first 106 at-bats, combined with Yordan Alvarez, who had a sluggish start to the season.
“My at-bats haven’t been really good or the way I want it lately,” Altuve then admitted. “Maybe hitting with him on base or whoever on base will help me get to the point I want to.”
“I think Jeremy [Peña] has been hitting the ball good,” Altuve added. “He can run. He can be very dynamic on the bases, and I think that’s going to help me, going to help him, and the whole team. He’s playing really good right now, so I think this is going to work out good.”
2025 AL MVP Candidates and Favorites
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is the clear frontrunner in the AL MVP race in a historic season with a .390 average, 1.265 OPS, and leads MLB with 5.6 WAR.
The reigning AL MVP is well ahead, followed by Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh’s elite homer production and Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr., who continues to impress with his all-around game. Peña, meanwhile, is having a breakout season after being promoted to a leadoff, and is currently making a case as a dark horse contender.
But with Judge in the conversation, the real battle is likely for second place.