Jeremy Peña, Josh Hader, Hunter Brown earn All-Star nods

LOS ANGELES – Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña and right-hander Hunter Brown earned their first All-Star Game berths, and closer Josh Hader was named to his sixth Midsummer Classic on Sunday evening.

Despite a trio of All-Stars, there’s no denying that the American League West leaders deserved at least two more. Left-hander Framber Valdez (10-4, 2.90 ERA) was one of the biggest snubs.

There’s still a chance that Valdez will be named to the Midsummer Classic, which will be held on July 15 at the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park.

“It’s surreal,” Peña, 27, said. “I feel like at the start of every season you set goals, and this was definitely one of my top goals, personal goals. It’s easy to put on this uniform and go compete with these guys. It’s easy to go out there and put your body on the line.”

‘Well-deserving’

The Astros’ three All-Stars were informed of the selections on Sunday morning at Dodger Stadium, where they were set to end a three-game series.

“My three All-Stars, well-deserving,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “Three amazing humans and great players. I’m so proud of their accomplishments, how they came up through our system and what they mean to our club.

“Start with Jeremy Peña, All-Star shortstop, one of the best players in the game. I remember how we started for him. Carlos Correa kinda passed the baton to him. We all felt so strongly about his future here as this organization, about him being our next shortstop. And the fact that he’s our next shortstop, I’m extremely proud of him.”

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Peña, who is on the injured list with a small rib fracture on his left side, has already had an impressive career. In 2022, he became the first rookie shortstop to be the World Series MVP. He also earned the AL Gold Glove at short that season.

He’s off to the best start of his career. Peña is hitting .322 with 11 home runs, 40 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

Excited to pick Francisco Lindor’s brain

Peña might not be healthy enough to compete in the All-Star Game, but he’s still excited to enjoy the experience. He says he’s eager to hang out with the other All-Stars, pick their brains and attend the All-Star events with his family.

Jeremy Peña is especially excited to visit with veteran shortstop Francisco Lindor, who will start for the National League in his fifth Midsummer Classic and first with the Mets.

“I feel like I’m a big fan of Francisco Lindor,” Peña said. “He’s on the other side, but I want to chop it up a little bit. He’s a player that I’ve paid a lot of attention to. I just love his game, the way he goes about his business. 

“He’s such a professional. But he also enjoys the game. That’s the part that I try to model my game after. I try to enjoy the game while also staying professional. He’s an all-around baseball player, a great defender. He can run, he can hit, he can hit for power. He’s  a leader in the clubhouse. And those are guys that you want to learn from.”