Carlos Correa

Correa at the 2013 Futures Game

Despite being the youngest high-profile player to enter the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, in the months leading to the event the 17-year-old Correa was already projected as a top-ten pick by several major sources, including Sports Illustrated and ESPN.[6][7][8] His stock rose during the month before the draft, with outstanding performances in team workouts, including one that reportedly left the Houston Astros' scouts "blown away".[9][10]

On June 4, 2012, the Astros selected him as the first overall pick, outranking the projected top pick, Mark Appel.[11] Correa was incredulous, only stating that he must have been dreaming, after entering the stage while hoisting the flag of Puerto Rico.[12] With his selection, Correa became the highest-selected player to be drafted directly from a Puerto Rican high school, besting Ramón Castro's 17th pick in 1994, while joining several other top-10 Puerto Rican picks such as Francisco Lindor and Javier Báez, all of whom had moved to the United States to complete their high school or college education after developing in the local youth leagues.[13] Correa became the third Latino to be the first overall selection in the MLB Draft, after Alex Rodriguez and Adrián González, as well as the first Puerto Rican and Latin American-born player to do so.[14][12] During the ceremony, he was congratulated by Puerto Rican great Iván Rodríguez.[15] Upon returning to Puerto Rico the following day, Correa was greeted by a victory parade in his native Santa Isabel, which was attended by hundreds of people.[16]

Correa signed with the Astros on June 7, 2012, agreeing to a $4.8 million signing bonus.[17] He chose to wear the number 12 in his introduction to the media, donning it in homage to Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, but abandoned it afterwards.[18] The organization assigned him to their extended spring training team in Kissimmee, Florida.[19] He began his professional career with the Gulf Coast Astros of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, and was promoted to Greeneville Astros of the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He opened the 2013 season with the Quad City River Bandits of the Class A Midwest League.[20]

Correa playing for Quad Cities in 2013

Correa was ranked the top prospect in the Astros' farm system prior to the 2013 season and opened the year on a ten-game hitting streak that was halted by injury. He was selected the team's Player of the Month during this run and became the youngest player selected to play in the 2013 Midwest League All-Star Game, where he represented the Western Division All-Stars. Correa became the first player in the history of the All-Star Futures Game to be selected by popular vote to complete the World Team. He also became the first position player in the River Bandits' history to be selected in his first year with the team. The youngest player in the event, Correa entered the game as a defensive backup in the eighth inning. Despite not having an official at-bat, his pre-game batting practice was scouted as impressive, including some home runs that reached the second deck of Citi Field.[21][22]

When Mark Appel joined the River Bandits in July, this marked the first time that two consecutive first overall draft picks played for the same minor league team.[23][24] After the team prevented him from playing for Gigantes de Carolina in Puerto Rico, Correa began a training camp to improve his physique and add speed, which lasted from October to February.[25]

On January 14, 2014, the Astros invited Correa to spring training as a non-roster player.[26] They assigned him to the Lancaster JetHawks of the Class A-Advanced California League to start the 2014 season.[27] On June 21, Correa fractured his right fibula, requiring surgery that ended his season. He batted .325 in 62 games for Lancaster.[28]

The Astros invited Correa to spring training in 2015, and assigned him to minor league camp in late March to prepare for an assignment with the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Class AA Texas League.[29][30] After Correa hit .385 in 29 games for Corpus Christi, the Astros promoted him to the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League on May 11.[31] In 24 games with the Grizzlies, he hit .276 with three home runs and 12 RBIs.[32]

On June 8, 2015, the Astros promoted Correa to the major leagues.[33] He debuted in a 3–1 loss to the Chicago White Sox, going 1-for-4 with a RBI single off of Chris Sale. On June 9, Correa stole his first career base and hit his first MLB home run off of Zach Duke.[34] By stealing three bases in his ninth game, he became the second-youngest player to do so in a century, only trailing Rickey Henderson by 21 days.[35] Correa established a new franchise record for most hits during his first ten games by batting 14.[36] He went on to also break the franchise record for most hits through 15 career games with 20.[37] Correa set a franchise record for most doubles during his first 20 games, batting 9.[38] Five home runs were also hit during this timeframe for a total of 14 extra-base hits, tied for the second-most since the 1993 MLB expansion.[39] Correa also tied two other players by reaching base safely in 18 of these games.[38] He won the American League's Rookie of the Month award for June.[40]

On July 5, 2015, Correa became the first player since 1914 to record five games with a minimum of three hits and a home run in 25 plate appearances since his debut.[41] By his 42nd game he was leading the American League in home runs by shortstops.[42] This game was also Correa's seventh with at least three hits, a record for rookies in this league.[42] By hitting nine home runs during this timeframe, he also became the first shortstop in a century to accomplish this in his first 42 games.[42] On August 1, Correa recorded his first multi-homer game, also setting a franchise record by hitting 12 home runs in his first 46 games.[43] By his 50th game he had batted more home runs in that number of games than any other shortstop in history, recording four more than the previous record-holder.[44] On August 19, Correa delivered his first walk-off hit with a single off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Andriese.[45]

On October 12, 2015, Correa became the youngest shortstop to hit a home run in playoff competition, as well as the second youngest player to record a postseason multi-homer game.[46]

Following the conclusion of the season, Correa was selected as the Sporting News AL Rookie of Year.[47] At the 2015 Players Choice Awards he received the AL Outstanding Rookie Award.[48] On November 16, 2015, MLB and the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) recognized Correa as the AL Rookie of the Year.[49] He became the first Astro to win a Rookie of the Year award since Jeff Bagwell did in 1991.

Correa began the 2016 season by becoming the youngest player in the Astros' history to hit a home run on Opening Day.[50] He missed playing time in September due to a shoulder injury.[51] Correa ended the season with a .274 batting average, a .361 on-base percentage, a .451 slugging percentage, 20 home runs, and 96 RBIs. Baseball-Reference.com calculated that Correa's 2016 season was worth 5.9 wins above replacement.[52] He had four walk-off hits during the season, the most in MLB.[53]

For May 2017, Correa was named the AL Player of the Month. He delivered a career-best five consecutive multiple-hit games from May 25−29, and totaled 14 such games on the month. In 26 games, he batted .386, eight doubles, seven home runs, 26 RBI and a 1.130 OPS. His batting average and RBI total led the AL, on-base percentage ranked third, hits and OPS fifth, and slugging tied for sixth.[54] He was selected to play in his first MLB All-Star Game, held at Marlins Park in Miami. On July 18, it was revealed that he had suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb. He was ruled out for six to eight weeks.[55]

On October 6, 2017, Correa hit his first home run of the 2017 postseason against the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. Two days later, he would hit his second home run of the postseason. On October 14, he hit his third home run of the post season including a walk-off double leading the Astros to their second win of the ALCS series against the Yankees. Correa and the Astros offense slumped as they lost all three middle games at Yankee Stadium. The Astros won Game 7 by a score of 4−0, advancing to their second World Series in franchise history, to face the National League pennant-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.[56] In Game 2, Correa, along with two Astros teammates–José Altuve and George Springer—and two Dodgers players–Charlie Culberson and Yasiel Puig—all homered in extra innings as the Astros prevailed, 7−6. The five home runs accounted for the most hit in extra innings of any single game in major league history.[57]

Correa went 3-for-5 in Game 5 including an RBI double and one of the five home runs by the Astros helping them beat the Dodgers 13–12. His effort helped setting the new record of most total home runs in a World Series. The game lasted over five hours, becoming the second-longest World Series game in history.[58] The Astros won the World Series in Game 7 giving them their first title in franchise history.[59]

Three years later, it was revealed in the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal that the Astros had broken MLB rules during their championship season. The team was punished for this, and Correa admitted that illegally stealing signs had been an advantage.[60] Correa also apologized, saying "We were wrong for everything we did in 2017. It's not what we stand for. It's not what we want to portray as an organization, and we were definitely wrong about all that and we feel really sorry. We affected careers, we affected the game in some way, and looking back at it, it was just bad."[61][62]

On June 28, Correa was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to back ailment. He was activated from the 10-day disabled list on August 10.[63] On November 10, he underwent surgery to fix a deviated septum, which caused breathing problems while running the bases.[64] In 2018 he batted .239/.323/.405 in 468 at bats.[65]

Correa missed Opening Day in 2019 due to neck stiffness.[66] On April 3, in a game against the Texas Rangers, he got the 500th hit of his career.[67] Correa was placed on the injured list on May 29 after suffering a rib fracture during a massage at home.[68] On July 12, he was transferred to the 60-day injured list; he was later activated on July 26.[69] For the regular season, he slashed .279/.358/.568 with 21 home runs and 59 RBIs in 280 at bats.[70] On October 13, he hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning of the second game of the ALCS against the New York Yankees to tie the series at 1–1.

In 2020, he batted .264/.326/.383 with 5 home runs and 25 RBIs in 201 at bats.[71] On October 15, he hit a walk-off home run in the 9th inning of the fifth game of the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays to force Game 6 of the series.[72] He became only the third player, after David Ortiz and Bernie Williams, to have hit multiple postseason walk-off home runs.[73]