Astros: The Age-21 Season of Carlos Correa

The Houston Astros star shortstop has continued to prove that he is the real deal.

Looking back, the Houston Astros were quite lucky to come away with Carlos Correa as the first overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. It is easy to forget that Correa, the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, wasn’t a sure-fire guarantee. Well, neither is any player in the draft.

More from Climbing Tal's Hill

• Just how much better is the Houston Astros playoff rotation than the rest?
• Houston Astros: A Lineup Change to Spark Offense
• Astros prospect Hunter Brown throws 6 shutout innings in debut
• Always faithful Astros World Series champion Josh Reddick defends the title
• Michael Conforto declines Astros’ 2-year, $30 million offer

The 21-year old has followed up his sensational rookie season with an nearly as impressive sophomore season. When you examine the numbers, you can see why that Correa’s success also helps drive the Astros success.

OPS+: 124

oWAR: 5.9

WAA (Wins Above Average): 3.3

Wait, there is more! Correa also sets history.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, Correa has become just the second shortstop in Major League history to have two seasons of 20 home runs or more by his age-21 season. The first to accomplish the feat: Alex Rodriguez.

And this is the home run that clinched Correa making shortstop history.

In fact, Correa’s and Rodriguez’s age-21 seasons were fairly similar.

Here is Rodriguez from his 1997 season with the Seattle Mariners:

OPS+: 120

oWAR: 6.1

WAA (Wins Above Average): 3.5

Of course, those numbers don’t paint the whole portrait. You have to consider that Rodriguez did have a monster 1996 season. Correa, though the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, did not approach the 1996 Rodriguez level. Yet, you can appreciate that Correa has accomplished a feat that has not been seen in quite some time.

Related Story: Astros Need a Miracle Finish to Make the Playoffs in 2016

Correa’s carrer has been a promising one. From the moment the former number one overall pick made his major league debut, he has one of the Astros best players. One can argue that he is one of the top two shortstops in the American League, and possibly in the top three to four shortstops in all of baseball. And there is only more history to be made in the coming years.

**Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference**