Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa to begin year at Double-A
By Jake Misener
For Houston Astros fans, Thursday brought good news.
The team’s top prospect, shortstop Carlos Correa, who is ranked as the second-best talent in all of Minor League Baseball, is now fully recovered from the leg injury that cut his 2014 season short, according to Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow. According to the head of the Houston front office, the youngster will be ready to play in 2015.
Jeff Luhnow tells the great @mpaytonCSN that Carlos Correa’s rehab is considered to be completed.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) October 23, 2014
Correa, who trails just Byron Buxton in regards of the game’s top prospects, suffered a right ankle injury while playing for Class-A Advanced Lancaster last June, ending any hopes of his seeing Double-A Corpus Christie before the 2014 season concluded. The injury ended his season, curtailing his ascent to Houston, where he is expected to be an impact everyday player for the rebuilding Astros organization.
At the time of his injury, Correa ranked amongst the leaders of the California League with 57 RBIs to go along with his six home runs, half a dozen triples, 16 doubles and .416 on-base percentage. A season prior, as the second-youngest player in his league, Correa played an integral role leading the Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits to a Midwest League championship, only increasing fan excitement.
His MLB.com scouting report details his above-average power, his defensive value and his overall maturity – despite being just 20 years old.
"“In a Draft class that also included Byron Buxton and Mark Appel, Correa was something of a surprise as the No. 1 overall pick by the Astros in 2012 … Though Correa is still physically maturing, he already has above-average power. Correa has a balanced swing and he has a good approach at the plate. He is an average runner. Correa has a strong arm, soft hands and good defensive instincts.”"
As Houston continues rebuilding, look for Correa to bounce back from his broken fibula in 2015 in a big way. Heading into his age 20 season, the young shortstop will get his first taste of Double-A ball, from which Luhnow said Thursday he could jump straight to the big leagues.
Get ready, Astros fans. The future is bright.