From the day the Astros selected Carlos Correa in the first round in June of 2012, the Astros shortstop has been on the fast-track.
He rose through the minor league system quickly and has never looked back since arriving in the big leagues in 2015, when A.J. Hinch arrived to lead the Astros.
Correa, who turned 24 in September, has had a season in 2018 that has had its share of ups and downs. Mostly, it has been a season of frustration for the former All-Star.
Correa has been battling a back issue that affected his mobility at shortstop and at the plate since late July and early August. He missed six weeks before returning from the disabled list, only to see his numbers continue to take a nosedive down the stretch.
In the last week of the regular season and in the final series at Baltimore, Correa showed signs of regaining his form on the heels of the team finishing with a franchise-best 103 wins.
Correa will look back at 2018 as a challenging campaign that saw a decline in production finishing the regular season hitting just .239 with 15 home runs and 65 RBIs.
After returning from his back injury, Correa never regained his form until closing in the next to last game against the Orioles with a double and home run.
Now, it’s on to this 2018 postseason and journey to the World Series. If the Astros are to make it there again, Correa will need to be productive with his bat and his glove. When healthy, the Astros' middle infield tandem of Correa and Altuve is among the best in baseball.
Correa got results on baseball’s final weekend of play and after a week of rest, the Astors shortstop is poised to be focused, rested and recharged for the Astros' ALDS series with the Indians and beyond.