Inside the Astros

New Astros Third Baseman Showing Why He's Perfect Fit For Daikin Park

When the Houston Astros acquired their new third baseman, his hitting profile immediately made him seem like a perfect fit for Daikin Park.

Kyle Morton

Apr 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) runs to first base after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park.
Apr 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) runs to first base after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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Third baseman Isaac Paredes was a big piece of the return the Houston Astros received when they made the difficult decision to deal longtime superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs.

Paredes was joined in the deal by Hayden Wesneski, now a contributor in the Astros' starting rotation, and Cam Smith, now Houston's top prospect and the breakout star of spring training.

The 26-year-old native of Mexico was instantly seen as a tailor made fit for the Astros, as he is both a power threat and one of the most pull-heavy hitters in the sport as a right-hander.

That combination makes him a constant threat to pepper the short porch in Daikin Park's left field and send fans in the Crawford Boxes home with souvenirs.

He's done just that of late, as his home run against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday made it three straight games with homers for Paredes.

The streak breaks a slump for Paredes, who entered Friday's contest without a homer as an Astro. Now, he boasts a slash line of .276/.382/.448 to help Houston take two of three from their division rival Angels.

After Paredes hit the homer Sunday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle pointed out on X (formerly Twitter) that according to Statcast, all three of his home runs in the series would only have been out at Daikin Park and Fenway Park in Boston.

That fact highlights the exact brilliance shown by general manager Dana Brown in prioritizing Paredes in the return for Tucker.

Of his 75 career home runs, all of them have been to the pull side in left field, none to right or even to center.

Paredes first broke into the league as a member of the Detroit Tigers, but he first established himself when another forward-thinking organization identified his batted-ball profile as an advantage for their park.

With the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022, Paredes hit 20 homers in something of a platoon role, but he reached new heights the following season as an everyday player with a career-high 31 blasts.

The Rays dealt him to Chicago in the midst of 2024, and he didn't make it long in Wrigleyville before being coveted by Houston in a deal the Cubs made to take the leap toward World Series contention.

The Astros may have taken a step away from that level by moving Tucker, but adding a player like Paredes whose skill set is maximized by their environment can certainly help to offset that departure.

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Kyle Morton
KYLE MORTON

Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.

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