The future is now: Astros promote shortstop Carlos Correa to the majors
Step aside, Kris Bryant and Carlos Rodon. There’s a new rookie who just got the call to the majors and is looking to take the shine off your debuts. The Houston Astros have promoted uber-prospect Carlos Correa to the majors Sunday.
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Since being selected as the first overall pick in the 2012 draft, Correa has done nothing but hit in the minors. The 20-year-old owns a .313/.392/.491 slash line over four seasons. He was promoted to Triple-A in May, and hit .266/.336/.447 in his brief appearance at the level.
Correa came into the season ranked as one of the best prospects in the game. Baseball America rated Correa fourth-overall, while both MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus had him ranked third.
Baseball America described Correa as a “plus hitter with plus raw power” who can eventually hit 30 home runs in a single season. He’s been lauded for his ability to drive the ball to the opposite field. Correa also gets high marks for his work ethic and makeup.
Defensively, he’s expected to remain at shortstop for at least a couple seasons. At six-foot-four, he’s big for a shortstop, and it’s believed he may have to move off the position as he fills out and matures. For now, he’ll stick at short.
The move seems to indicate that the Astros believe the future is now. While the club was expected to be better in 2015, few thought they would play this well. Currently, the Astros lead the American League with 34 wins. The team owns a 3.5 game lead in the AL West.
The club could have opted to stay the course with their current pieces and promote Correa next season, but it appears they are going to try and capitalize on their hot start. With Jed Lowrie currently on the disabled list, the move makes sense.
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Correa’s rise to the majors came quickly, but he didn’t have a lot to prove in Triple-A. Aside from an ankle injury that hindered his progress in 2014, Correa has been a force when healthy. He might not be an upgrade over a healthy Lowrie right now, but he’s certainly a step up from Marwin Gonzalez or Jonathan Villar.
The club will eventually have to figure out what to do with Lowrie once he’s ready to return, but that’s not the type of issue they need to worry about at the moment. The promotion seems to indicate they are willing to go with Correa for the long-term, so Lowrie could find himself on another team or playing another position once he’s finally able to come back.
That’s another problem for another day. It’s a new era in Houston, and Correa’s promotion indicates that the club is willing to do whatever it takes to sustain its surprising start.
Even if regression sets in and eats away at the Astros chances, that shouldn’t color our perception of the promotion. While there may be some early struggles, promoting Correa is absolutely the right decision for the suddenly intriguing Astros.
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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
