Isaac Paredes is in the midst of a hot streak for the Houston Astros. Paredes has been providing key at bats during this streak and has been taking advantage of intentional walks given to Yordan Alvarez.

On Thursday, Paredes provided two singles off Gerritt Cole early in the game and drove in one run. He also worked a walk, one of four he earned during the Yankees series victory.

Paredes Journey To Houston

The 27-year-old Paredes came to the Astros in the Kyle Tucker trade with the Cubs after the 2024 season and provided 2.4 bWAR in 2025 followed by 3.1 bWAR so far in 2026.

Last year, he only managed to play in 104 games as he dealt with injury during about a third of the season. This year, he has been healthy throughout and was only off the active roster for three games due to bereavement in early April.

Since Aug. 7, Paredes has been on the rise with a .338 average (22-for-65) and a .938 OPS. He also has managed 10 walks over these 18 games bringing his on-base percentage to .429. His on-base percentage is eighth in the majors over the 18-game stretch.

Strikeout Reduction

A huge part of Paredes’ success over the last three weeks has been his plate discipline. He has a strikeout rate of 3.9% over the run. Paredes even went 11 games without a strikeout from Aug. 9 to Aug. 21, a span that includes 45 plate appearances, a rarity in today’s game.

Paredes started the month of August cold. He had one hit in 17 at-bats to begin the month and lowered his OPS from .780 to .758. During his latest hot streak, the OPS has gone from the .758 where he left it on Aug. 5 to .783.

Defensive Metrics

The Astros have a 64-60 record in games where Paredes start, a noteworthy mark on a .500 team. According to Fangraphs, he has improved considerably on the defensive end from 2025. He had -2.7 Defensive and Positional Adjusted WAR in 2025 compared to a respectable 0.2 this season. He is third in the AL with a .980 fielding percentage at third base.

Exit Velocity

His average exit velocity is a tick lower this season, resulting in a hard-hit rate of 28.0% compared to his career average of 30.1%. This is negated by him putting more balls in play thanks to fewer strikeouts.

Paredes provides a key link in the lineup, hitting behind the elite bats of Jeremy Pena and Alvarez. Driving those players in when they get on base is what makes the Astros lineup great.

When he drives in more than one run in a game, Houston has a 16-5 record. If Paredes can continue his hot streak, the Astros are poised for a September run.