Good Sports: Fresno Grizzlies' Carlos Correa

Friday, May 29, 2015
Good Sports: Fresno Grizzlies shortstop Carlos Correa
Spend a few minutes watching Fresno Grizzlies shortstop Carlos Correa and it's easy to see why ESPN named him Minor League Baseball's top overall prospect earlier this week.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Spend a few minutes watching Fresno Grizzlies shortstop Carlos Correa and it's easy to see why ESPN named him Minor League Baseball's top overall prospect earlier this week.

"When you find a special player like Carlos," Grizzlies Manager Tony DeFrancesco said, "offensively and defensively that can run, with a plus arm, we talk about five tool guys, Carlos is right there."

"I've been working on everything, every single aspect of my game," Correa said. "Try to get better at defense, base-hitting, hitting, everything. So I've been working out all the tools I have to make it better every single day."

At 6'4", 215 pounds, Correa has a rare combination of size and strength with speed and finesse, all of which has the 20-year-old Puerto Rican drawing lofty comparisons at shortstop.

"I hate to say Derek Jeter's name comes up," DeFrancesco said. "You know, a young A-Rod when you look at him."

"He's 20 years old. He's done everything we've asked him to do," Houston Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow said of Correa. "He's dominated every level he's played in and we just hope that continues."

But with all the attention and expectations placed on him by others, Correa says he doesn't put any more pressure on himself, staying grounded by attending chapel services and keeping in contact with family members regularly.

"This journey is just starting," he said. "I'm only 20 years old so hopefully I will be able to do it for a long time and be known as a great baseball player but as a great person as well."

What's clear is the 2012 number one overall draft pick won't be in Fresno for long, as the Houston Astros make a surprising playoff run this summer. Correa says he'll be ready to step up to the plate when asked.

"Obviously when I go out there and play every single day and do your best," Correa said, "put pressure on the Astros the most pressure I can, I'm just going out there having fun every single day, do what I can control and that's play the game every single day and play hard."

"A lot of these players at this level and even levels below have the tools to succeed in the Big Leagues," Luhnow said. "But do they have the desire and the aptitude to learn how to get better? And Carlos is learning every day, every time at bat."

He might not be Captain America, but Correa could be as close to super hero as Grizzlies and Astros fans will see for a long time.