40 for 40 Presents: Carlos Correa

Who Am I?

Carlos Correa

Shortstop

Age: 22

Height: 6′ 4″

Weight: 215

Bats right, throws right

How Did I Get Here?

Correa was the first overall selection of the 2012 draft, and was called up in June 2015.

Contract Status: Correa will be eligible for arbitration in 2019, assuming the Astros don’t work out a contract with him by that time.

Why Am I Here?

Not to put too fine a point on it, but to lead the Astros to a World Series victory. When you’re the first overall pick of the draft, that’s the expectation.

Correa will start at short and bat cleanup, barring lineup changes by AJ Hinch.

What Are My Strengths?

Correa is a classic five tool player. It would not be surprising to see him post a .300/30HR/30 SB season, and he has answered most all of the questions about his abilities at short.

What Are My Weaknesses?

Correa tends to hit more ground balls than you would like to see in a player with his power. If you were to look at his launch angle breakdown (via Statcast or Daren Willman’s invaluable Baseball Savant), you would see that Correa hits most balls at a 5 degree angle or lower. Compare that to Miguel Cabrera – a hitter I would hope Correa could emulate – who hits mostly line drives between 10 and 20 degrees.

Loves to hit: Anything middle in. If you look at the breakdown of the hitting zone, Correa is a .300+ hitter from on the inner two thirds of the plate. He drops under .250 on the outer third.

Hates to hit: Curveballs. Correa saw 251 curveballs in 2016. He didn’t homer on a single one.

What is my future with the Astros?

If you’re reading this, you’re more than likely an Astros fan. If you’re an Astros fan, you more than likely remember what it’s like to watch two Hall of Famers spend their careers together.

But I also spent a couple of years in Detroit in my childhood – formative years that led me to be a lifelong fan of Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell. (Both of whom should be in the Hall of Fame, but that’s a story for another day.) And let me tell you, there’s something magical about watching two elite players at the keystone day after day, year after year. They know each other’s movements before they happen. It’s like watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers at their peak.

When I think of the next ten years for the Astros, that’s my vision for Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa.

What is my projected 2017 performance?

Who else would I remind you of?

It’s the easy answer, but it’s the right answer. I still see Alex Rodriguez. I just pray it’s without the controversy.