Carlos Correa had a great week last week, earning him Texas League Player of the Week honors. It also inched him one step closer to Houston.
#Astros officially promote SS Carlos Correa to the Triple A @FresnoGrizzlies. He will join the club tomorrow in Albuquerque.
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 11, 2015
Correa, Grading on the Curve’s No. 2 prospect in baseball, is simply out to a super human start to the 2015 season. Just 20-years old, many felt he would see a full season in the minors before jumping to Houston for the 2016 season. Then Jed Lowrie went down with a thumb injury and Correa heated up, and many, like our own Brody Hilgenkamp, felt Correa could balance the lineup in Houston.
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Last week, Correa had 12 hits, 6 of which went for extra bases. He drove in 10 and was a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. He has absolutely dominated for the Corpus Christi Hooks, and he leaves with a .385/.459/.726 slash line, 7 home runs, 32 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 15 attempts. He is the Texas League leader in batting average, steals, RBI, total bases, doubles and hits while he is tied for the lead in home runs.
Now, Correa heads to Fresno in the Pacific Coast League, and he shouldn’t be there for too long. That doesn’t mean he won’t but Correa is too good of a hitter not to excel in the hitter friendly PCL. The aforementioned Lowrie is out until after the All Star Break. Marwin Gonzalez and Jonathan Villar are suitable replacements, but Correa could take this team to the next level.
Some will argue that at only 20-years old, Correa needs more Minor League seasoning. Tell that to Mike Trout. There are very few can’t-miss prospects in baseball that come to fruition, and Correa is a special talent that seems to be ready to go for it.
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Give Correa two weeks in Triple-A. The Astros should call him up to The Big Show on June 1st because the timing is perfect. It gives Correa a little more than a month to get acclimated to the big leagues. If he looks lost, Lowrie will return in a month and Correa could return to the minors. Should he excel — which I truly believe he will — Lowrie can still find everyday playing time with the ability to play second, shortstop and third base.
Correa is the premier shortstop of the future, and for the Astros, the timing is perfect for the future to begin now.
Joining Correa as Offensive Players of the Week across the Minors were:
Brian Bogusevic — International League
Cody Decker —Pacific Coast League
Art Charles — Eastern League
Tyler Smith — Southern League
A.J. Reed — California League
Billy McKinney — Carolina League
Austin Dean — Florida State League
Max Murphy — Midwest League
Ozhaino Albies — South Atlantic League