The Astros were met with some great news Sunday afternoon.
Good news, Houston Astros fans.
You've got some representation in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.
The pitchers and reserves for the American League and the National League were released on Sunday, and on the American League side, Jeremy Pena was announced as a reserve shortstop, alongside Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. behind starting shortstop Jacob Wilson of the A's.
And for the pitchers, one of the league's best starting pitchers this season and likely the league's best closer were named to the pitching staff, those being Hunter Brown and Josh Hader.
Pena, who was named the World Series MVP when the team won the title in his rookie year in 2022, will be at his first All-Star Game, currently boasting an astonishing .322 batting average with 11 home runs and 40 runs batted in, a somewhat return to form that he saw during his rookie year and hasn't given the people of H-Town since.
Hunter Brown is enjoying a breakout year in his fourth major league season with a 9-3 record, 126 strikeouts in 104 innings, and a 1.82 earned run average, which leads all starting pitchers in the major leagues.
Josh Hader is being welcomed to his sixth career Midsummer Classic, and first since joining the Astros.
In 40 innings, the former Milwaukee Brewer and San Diego Padre has struck out 61 batters, has an ERA of 1.80, and he currently leads the MLB in saves with 25.
Hader, like Pena, also seems to be finding a return to form after a lackluster past couple of seasons, with the exception of his 2023 season with San Diego, which saw his ERA plummet to an incredible 1.28.
The southpaw closer, since his 2017 debut with Milwaukee, currently holds a career ERA of 2.64, has struck out 812 hitters, and is only a couple of seasons from joining the 300 saves club, sitting at 223 as of July 6.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Game will be on Tuesday, July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta.
Category: Baseball
