With Michael Brantley re-signed and Jeremy Pena coming off a breakout season, Dusty Baker and the Houston Astros are ready to defend their World Series title. But while Pena might be the new kid on the block, Baker still thinks Brantley will be a valuable weapon for the Astros.

Baker confirmed that when Brantley is in the lineup, he will bat in the No. 2 spot over Pena, via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. For Baker, Brantley's longevity wins out over Pena's finish to last season.

“I know Pena's been good, but Pena ain't been good as long as Brantley,” Baker said.

Michael Brantley has been in the MLB since 2009. He played for the now Cleveland Guardians for 10 years before joining the Astros in 2019. Brantley has been an All Star five-times in his career, thrive in Cleveland and twice in Houston. He's a .298 hitter with 127 home runs, 713 RBI and 125 stolen bases.

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Jeremy Pena appeared in 136 regular season games for the Astros during his rookie season. He hit .253 with 22 home runs, 63 RBI and 11 stolen. Pena truly took off during the playoffs, earning both the World Series and ALCS MVP Award. Overall, Pena hit .345 with four home runs and eight RBI during his first trip to the MLB postseason.

Pena looks like a lethal weapon for the Astros for many years to come. However, Brantley has been a proven commodity in his over a decade in the major leagues. Dusty Baker knows Pena is a budding star. But Brantley will still get priority as long as he is playing and playing well.