The Puerto Rican shortstop is part of a formidable and well-knit group of infielders who have made up the same infielder since 2017: him, third baseman Alex Bregman, Venezuelan second baseman José Altuve and Cuban first baseman Yuli Gurriel.
“It is very special, because we have done it together for many years,” Correa said. “We are a family, we love each other as brothers and sharing the field every day, especially the infield, with them is a blessing because they are some of the best players on the planet.”
For the Astros and their fans, yes, it has been a delight. The aforementioned quartet have won nine postseason series in their five years together, an American League pennant and the 2017 World Series (with everything that was known after that).
Astros manager Dusty Baker saw a similar situation up close as an outfielder for Dodgers who had the same infield for most of the 1970s: Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Davey Lopes and Steve Garvey. That group won four National League pennants and, ultimately, the 1981 World Series.
“Yeah, they’ve been here almost as long as that group we had at the Dodgers,” Baker said of his charges now. “He’s one of the best infields (in the Major Leagues), one of the best in history, offensively and defensively.
“It really helps to have someone next to you whose range you know, who knows what they can do, their range with high, rolling. Being familiar with whoever is next to you is very, very important. “
With Correa in the last year of his contract, are we seeing the last of this group?
“I don’t think about it,” he repeated Thursday during the Astros’ practice for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, which begins at Minute Maid Park between Houston and Boston on Friday night.
For his part, Baker, has witnessed the way Correa has handled the situation.
“I think he has dealt with it in a great way,” said the foreman of the Puerto Rican, who hit .279 / .366 / .485 with 26 homers, .850 OPS and 131 OPS + in the regular season, before registering. 385 (13-5) with four RBIs in the first round of these playoffs against the White Sox. “You can’t do anything about it four, five months in advance. You can only play today.
“Carlos doesn’t talk about it, he just comes to play. He loves to play and he loves to win ”.
Bregman is signed until the end of 2024, as is Altuve. Gurriel has a team option for next season, and given his strong performance this year, there is a good chance the Astros will exercise it.
But for Correa, his arrival on the free market seems imminent. Before that, it remains the task of winning two more series and re-crowning themselves as World Series champions.
“I just think about how to help my team win,” Correa said. “The truth is that it is a special postseason. Now we know what it takes to win, we know what it takes to win series and we just have to get out there and execute it.
“We want to finish what we have proposed.”
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