Former University of Maine shortstop Jeremy Pena is continuing to make strides in the Houston Astros organization.
After a productive off season playing in the Dominican Republic Winter League, he has appeared in 13 spring training games for the Astros.
Pena, a third-round draft choice in 2018, in February was ranked 66th among the major leagues top 100 prospects by Fangraphs. That’s the highest for a player in the Houston organization.
According to Climbing Tal’s Hill, a FanSided sports website, Pena is “making a decent case to see the Major Leagues in late 2022 or early 2023.”
He was rated Houston’s No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Pena’s former UMaine teammate, catcher Chris Bec, has appeared in two spring training games for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was a fifth-round choice, also in 2018.
Two more former Black Bears, pitchers Cody Laweryson of Moscow and Valley High of Bingham, and Bangor’s Justin Courtney are going to minor-league camps for the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels, respectively.
Third baseman Danny Casals spent a season with the Milwaukee Brewers’ Arizona (Rookie) League team in 2019 and hit .333 but is now coaching high school baseball.
All five players were All-America East selections at UMaine.
Orono High School grad Jackson Coutts, a first baseman who played at the University of Rhode Island, signed last summer with the Washington Nationals and was assigned to their Gulf Coast League team.
The 23-year-old Pena, who grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, has also shown he can also play second and third base. He is the son of former major leaguer Geronimo Pena.
Pena hit .306 in 30 games for the Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Republic Winter League and was named the Rookie of the Year while also earning the Gold Glove for shortstops. He hit three home runs, drove in nine runs and stole seven bases without being caught. He also posted two triples and two doubles.
Pena scored 18 runs as the Orientales’ leadoff hitter.
He has played in 13 games for the Astros this spring and is hitting .211 (4-for-19) with two homers and six RBIs.
The Crawfish Boxes, a website devoted to the Astros, said Pena’s offensive development, coupled with his exceptional defensive skills, have transformed him into an exceptionally well-rounded player with a legitimate chance to be an everyday major league infielder.
Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, a former American League Rookie of the Year, is in the final year of his contract and the two sides do not appear close to reaching an agreement on a new contract or an extension.
In two minor league seasons at the Class A and Rookie League levels, Pena has batted .290 with eight homers and 64 RBIs in 145 games. He has seven triples and 26 doubles and has stolen 23 bases in 33 attempts.
He will likely start this season in AA or AAA.
“He is the best player I’ve ever coached,” UMaine head coach Nick Derba said.
Derba, a longtime minor leaguer, said Pena already has major league talent as a defensive player and has good offensive potential. He said it wouldn’t surprise him if Pena enjoyed a lengthy big-league career.
Pena hit .305 in his three seasons at UMaine with 12 homers, 32 doubles, 10 triples and 75 RBIs.
The 25-year-old Bec had a hit and an RBI in two at-bats for the Blue Jays this spring.
In his two seasons at the low and high Class-A levels, Bec has hit a combined .239 in 103 games with five homers and 45 RBIs along with two triples and 17 doubles.
One stat line that stands out is his 32 stolen bases in 35 attempts. He also has played some third base.
Bec hit .330 in 99 games at UMaine with nine homers, 55 RBIs and 31 steals in 42 attempts.
“Chris is a very good offensive player,” Derba said. “He’s a good catcher and he can play a lot of positions.”
Derba said it wouldn’t surprise him if Bec landed a job as a long-term utility player in the majors.
Laweryson was 1-1 with a sparkling 1.57 earned run average for a Twins Class A and a Rookie League team in 2019 with 63 strikeouts and 10 walks in 46 innings. He gave up only 27 hits.
The 22-year-old righty was a 14th-round draft pick of the Twins. He was 12-10 with a 3.09 ERA in three years at UMaine with 171 strikeouts and 46 walks over 163 1/3 innings.
He will leave for Twins minor league camp in Fort Myers, Florida on Wednesday.
Courtney landed a free-agent deal with the Angels and will report March 31 to their minor league camp in Tempe, Arizona.
The 24-year-old was 12-17 at UMaine with a 3.92 ERA. He missed a year due to Tommy John surgery.