Carlos Correa has the look of a special player. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
Astros shortstop Carlos Correa did not begin the season on a major league roster, but he finished it by winning the American League Rookie of the Year award on Monday.
Correa won a close race with Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, finishing first in the balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Correa, who turned 21 on Sept. 22, received 17 first-place votes and 13 second-place votes to total 124 points. Lindor got 13 first-place votes, 14 second-place votes and two third-place votes to finish with 109 points.
Minnesota Twins slugger Miguel Sano finished a distant third. Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna was fourth, and Oakland A’s outfielder Billy Burns came in fifth.
Correa is the second Astros player to win the award, the other being Jeff Bagwell, who won in 1991, when the Astros were in the National League.
Correa received word of the honor while in Puerto Rico, and he praised his family, especially his father, Carlos Sr., while speaking on the MLB Network.
“He means a lot to my baseball career,” Correa said. “He’s the one that paved the way for me. He taught me how to work hard every single day. … he’s the guy that I look up to, and he’s the guy that made me who I am today, not only as a player but as a human being as well.”
Correa did not join the Astros until his June 8 call-up, but he hit the ground running. He batted .279 with 22 homers and 68 RBIs while stealing 14 bases and scoring 52 runs in 99 games. He was hitting third in the order by the end of the season.
He also played excellent defense while being the youngest position player in the major leagues.
Correa helped his team get into the postseason, where the Astros took the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals to five games in the AL Division Series.
