Carlos Correa and Corey Seager entered this off-season widely considered the top two free agents in baseball. When looking at their careers so far, the similarities are striking. Both are shortstops that were drafted in the first round of the 2012 draft, premiered in 2015, won a Rookie of the Year, named to two all-star teams, and won a World Series title.
Before the 2015 season Baseball America rated Correa as the #4 prospect in baseball and Seager the #5. Even their progressions through the minor leagues were nearly identical. Both played rookie ball in 2012 and moved up to Class-A in 2013. From there, Seager’s promotions preceded Correa for A+, AA, and AAA, the latter by only 11 days. Correa, however, would make it to the big leagues three months before Seager.
Seven years later the comparisons continue, as will be the case with this article and when Carlos Correa resumes talks with prospective teams after the lockout. With Seager signing a 10-year/$325 million contract with the Texas Rangers earlier this off-season, potential suitors for Correa will surely be looking at that deal as they prepare their offers.
Before we look at how they compare, let’s take a look at the merits of each to this point in their careers.