Astros promote top prospect Carlos Correa to Triple-A
The most exciting player in the minor leagues may not be there much longer. Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa was promoted to Triple-A on Monday, the team announced.
The 20-year-old Correa entered the year ranked as one of the top prospects in the game according to nearly every guide. Baseball America ranked him fourth, while both Baseball Prospectus and MLB.com had Correa as the third best prospect coming into 2015.
Since then, he’s done everything possible to warrant a promotion. Correa has completely dominated Double-A, hitting .385/.459/.726 over 133 plate appearances. He’s mashed seven home runs, and has stolen 15 bases without being caught.
Correa is expected to report to Triple-A on Tuesday, according to Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle. Correa said the promotion gets him closer to realizing his ultimate dream.
“You work your entire life to get at some point to the big leagues. To get one step closer means a lot,” Correa said.
He may not have to wait much longer. Though he hasn’t played a game in Fresno yet, there’s already been talk of the Astros promoting him to the majors soon.
Houston has a clear need at shortstop. Jed Lowrie is out for at least a couple more weeks due to a thumb injury, leaving a big hole up the middle. Considering the team’s hot start, promoting Correa sooner rather than later could help keep Houston afloat in the competitive American League West.
His promotion to the majors could depend on whether the Astros want to make a Correa a Super Two. If Correa spends a certain amount of time in the minors, his arbitration clock would be pushed back an additional season. The Super Two cutoff is typically at some point in June, which is why many expect Correa to spend at least a month in Triple-A before his major-league call-up.
Kris Bryant and Carlos Rodon may have been promoted first, but Correa is the closest thing to those two currently in the minors. He’s destroyed his competition at every level, posting a career .317/.397/.495 line since he was the first overall pick in the 2012 draft.
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While the promotion to Triple-A does get him a step closer to the majors, Correa has little to prove at the level. He might be just 20-years-old, but he’s ready now.
Given Houston’s hot start, they would be wise to get Correa up to the majors as soon as physically possible. Nobody is going to complain about his Super Two status if the team is celebrating a division title at the end of the year.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
