Peña, Mancini among World Series neophytes on Astros roster: 'You dream about this stuff when you're a kid'

When the Houston Astros take the familiar field at Minute Maid Park for Game 1 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, they’ll have a few newbies along for the ride.

Shortstop Jeremy Peña may be an up-and-coming rookie and left fielder Trey Mancini a grizzled veteran, but both new Astros will be experiencing Major League Baseball’s (MLB) best-of-seven championship round for the first time.

When Peña was toiling in Houston’s farm system, he had one of the game’s biggest names, free agent-to-be Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, as a mentor.

Correa, who was then the anchor of the Astros infield, once told the future American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player (ALCS MVP) awardee that he could start one day.

Fast forward to Sunday night, and Peña is praised for helping the Astros vanquish the Yankees in a sweep.

Per a report on MLB.com, the 25-year-old first-year pro launched a three-shot missile to erase an 0-3 deficit and put Houston on the path to another comeback win, punctuating an ALCS which saw him smash 6-for-17 with two dingers and two doubles.

The significance of winning the pennant almost a year after being tabbed as the Astros’ top prospect isn’t lost on Peña, who also delivered the go-ahead home run (HR) in the American League Division Series (ALDS) clincher against the Seattle Mariners.

“It's surreal,” he said in the report. “You dream about this stuff when you're a kid, and shoutout to my teammates. We show up every single day. We stayed true to ourselves all year. We're a step away from the ultimate goal.”

As for Mancini, he only saw the postseason once as a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

The 30-year-old, whom the Astros acquired in a trade with the Orioles over the summer, overcame colon cancer in 2020 to be four wins away from hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy.

“I’ve been watching it on TV my whole career,” Mancini told Houston ABC affiliate KTRK when asked about being a part of a clubhouse celebration celebrating the pennant. “To be here and to be a part of it is incredible.”