Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa form special bond with Astros

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – One stands 6 feet 4 inches tall and the other a mere 5 feet 6 inches.

Carlos Correa and Josel Altuve make up the best middle infield in baseball, and they have a mutual respect that goes far beyond the field.

“Just his work ethic, he works hard and smart. He knows what it takes to be ready for every single game and every single season,” Correa said of Altuve.

“We are really close. We talk a lot and Carlos is a superstar and everyone knows that,” Altuve said of Correa. “It makes my job easier to play with a guy as young as he is and how good he is. It makes it easier for me.”

Correa is entering his third full season while this spring marks the eighth for Altuve.

The shortstop and second baseman need to be on the same page at all times and build an unbreakable trust.

Correa and Altuve have that and more. They feed off one another and push each other to be the best.

“I think it’s something we don’t need to worry about,” Altuve said. “Our communication and relationship is great. It is the best between two players.”

“I think playing together three years together and hanging out all the time, you know what he likes and what I like, plus what our strengths and weaknesses are, and we feed from that,” Correa said.

The reigning MVP and two-time batting champion is one of the greats in the game but his desire to improve never wavers.

“I would love to have an MVP follow-up season,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “I respect what he has done and the way he goes about his business.”