THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL October 23: Astros SS Jeremy Peña wins ALCS MVP after 3-run HR in Game 4

On a team already loaded with hitting stars like Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman and Jordan Alvarez, Astros rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña held his own in 2022, when the Dominican native took over the position from departed fan favorite Carlos Correa. He hit 22 home runs and won a Gold Glove.

But on this day in béisbol, October 22, 2022, Peña proved he wasn’t about to wilt under the harsh glare of the postseason, either — especially in an ALCS game against the rival Yankees.

Peña hit a three-run homer early off New York starter Nestor Torres that helped Houston sweep the series and push the team to its fourth World Series in six years.

The round-tripper capped a strong playoff run up to that point that further helped fans forget about losing Correa to free agency. Peña, 24, who hit a homer in the three-game sweep of the Mariners in the ALDS, blasted 2 home runs with 4 RBI and a .353 average and won the ALCS MVP award.

He finished his outstanding postseason by hitting .400 with 10 hits in the World Series against the Phillies and was named MVP.

Also on this day: In 2023, Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia wins the ALCS MVP award after smashing two more homers and knocking in 5 runs in an 11-4 Game 7 rout of the Astros. The Cuba native would end up with 5 homers with 15 RBIs in the series. It was a fitting end to his best season so far, during which he slammed 39 homers with 107 RBI and took home a Gold Glove.

Johnmaxmena2, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; LatinoBaseball.com illustration