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Former No. 1 pick Carlos Correa called up to the Houston Astros

By Josh Criswell

Mar 8, 2015; Lakeland, FL, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (76) at bat against the Detroit Tigers at a spring training baseball game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2015; Lakeland, FL, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (76) at bat against the Detroit Tigers at a spring training baseball game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Former No. 1 overall draft pick Carlos Correa is set to make his Major League debut for the Houston Astros, symbolizing the team’s turnaround from perennial laughing stock to playoff contender.

When the Houston Astros selected Carlos Correa with the first overall pick in 2012, the franchise had nothing to hang on to, just hope that their new general manager Jeff Lunhow did not blow his first MLB Draft with the team. Three years later, he is on the big league roster, and the franchise is expecting him to make an immediate impact.

"“We really feel like he can help our club right now win ballgames,” Luhnow told the Houston Chronicle. “We’ve scuffled a little bit in these last few days, and we feel like Carlos gives us the best chance to win. We want to keep our division lead and we want to win this division. We think he’s a big part of what we can do.”"

He will be joining the team in Chicago Monday night for their matchup against the White Sox, and with as much as the team is expecting from their young shortstop, do not expect him to be relegated to the bench for long. The talent is absolutely there, and to appreciate what Correa’s arrival means to the Astros, all you need to do is look at how far the organization has come since the day he was drafted.

Jason Castro was their last first round pick to pan out, and he was picked up in 2008. George Springer, who was selected the previous year, was far from the top prospect he would quickly evolve into. 2015 Cy Young Award hopeful Dallas Keuchel was on his way to recording an unimpressive 5.27 ERA during his rookie season.

The Astros roster at the time was essentially composed of Castro, Jose Altuve and a bunch of minor leaguers, and Carlos Lee’s albatross of a contract was still making its presence felt as well. To say the least, the outlook was very bleak.

Not even a year ago, it seemed like a Sports Illustrated cover that dubbed Houston the ‘2017 World Series champs’ was being a little too optimistic. After all, this is team has not been to the playoffs in nearly a decade. Their last postseason appearance came when they were swept by the White Sox in the 2005 World Series, ending an incredible chapter of Astros baseball, and sending the organization into years of embarrassment and obscurity.

Correa was a very promising prospect when he was selected in 2012, even drawing comparisons to Alex Rodriguez for his 6-foot-4, 190 frame and potential to become a ‘five-tool’ player. As high as his ceiling was though, he was still a very raw prospect at 17-years old, and it was nearly impossible to envision the Astros as a contending team.

Fast-forward three years later to 2015, and Correa is making his Major League debut for a first-place Houston Astros team. Dallas Keuchel has a sub-2.00 ERA, and has become the ace they have been searching desperately for, George Springer has 30-30 potential and is a threat every time he steps into the batter’s box and Jose Altuve is aiming for his second consecutive 200-hit season.

The fact that Correa is being called up the the big leagues while the Astros are fighting for a playoff spot shows the tremendous amount of faith that the organization has in his abilities to become a valuable weapon immediately. At 20-years old, he will be the youngest player in the MLB, but the hitting display he has put on in Double-A and Triple-A gives Houston plenty of reasons to be confident.

Correa has hit .335 with 10 home runs, 44 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in the minors this year. If he can come anywhere close to matching that level of production, he will be a huge asset for the Astros during the playoff race in the coming months.

The turnaround in Houston is not complete yet, as there is a long way to go until October, but Correa’s arrival signifies how far they have come. A decade removed from their last postseason appearance, the Astros are making noise as a legitimate playoff candidate. Now their most-prized prospect is arriving in time to make an impact for a contending team; something that was merely a pipe dream not too long ago.

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