HOUSTON — Carlos Correa is the stud shortstop for the Houston Astros. He wears No. 1 and has flashed his leather and lumber for the Good Guys since he debuted in the majors in 2015.
Correa was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 22, 1994. The Astros selected him with the first pick in the 2012 draft when he was 17-years-old.
Here are five facts about Correa:
Rookie of the Year
Correa was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 2015, despite playing in only 99 games and being 20 years old.
That season, he hit .279 with 22 homers, 68 RBI, 14 stolen bases and 40 walks.
To win the award, Correa beat out Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano and Toronto Blue Jays closer (now Correa's teammate) Roberto Osuna.
The proposal heard 'round the world
Correa proposed to Daniella Rodriguez on the field at Dodger Stadium after the Astros won the 2017 World Series, setting a bar so high that no man will ever be able to top it.
While the couple still hasn't officially tied the knot, a Dec. 7 wedding is in the works.
Contract status
Correa is making $5 million for the 2019 season, his first year of arbitration.
He's under team control through the 2021 season.
Last year, Correa made $1 million.
Here's a look at his career earnings:
- 2012: $4.8 million signing bonus
- 2015: $330,013
- 2016: $516,700
- 2017: $535,000
- 2018: $1 million
- 2019: $5 million
Injury history
The last two years of Correa's career have been marred by a series of injuries.
In 2018, he was placed on the 10-day injured list with lower back soreness. In May of this season, he was placed on the 60-day IL with a fractured rib. In August this year, he was placed on the 10-day IL with a back injury.
In his career, Correa has played more than 110 games only once.
Here's a look at the number of games he has played in each of his five seasons:
- 2015: 99 games (rookie season)
- 2016: 153 games
- 2017: 109 games
- 2018: 110 games
- 2019: 75 games
2017 postseason
Correa played a major role in Houston's title run in 2017.
In 18 games, he hit .288 with 21 hits, including five homers, 14 RBI and four walks. He scored 10 runs and struck out only 13 times while hitting in the middle of Houston's lineup, usually batting cleanup.
In the World Series against the Dodgers, Correa had five RBI and eight hits in 29 at-bats. He hit two homers.
