The postseason matchup between the Astros and Royals has been an emotional rollercoaster. In game 4, the Astros thought they had it in the bag after a 6-2 lead, only to see the Royals send it to a decisive fifth game with seven runs in the last two innings (It ain’t over till it’s over, in the late Yogi Berra’s philosophy). But it’s not the result that’s going to be in history books – that spot is saved for Carlos Correa. With his home run in the second inning, Correa became the youngest Puerto Rican to hit a postseason home run. That’s right: no other Boricua was younger when he hit it over the fence in the month of October.
You can only achieve so much at that age if you have to grow up really fast. At 8 years old, Carlos Correa was helping his dad, Carlos Sr., with construction work. At 17, he was being drafted as the first overall pick. Now, 21 years and 21 days old, the Ponce native is crushing decades-old records as the rest of people his age are starting to think about how to pay for that college loan. His 6′ 4″ frame and enormous talent are drawing Alex Rodriguez comparisons. A cleaner version, one presumes. For many, he’s the favorite for the American League Rookie of the year award, and the face of Puerto Rican baseball’s recent resurgence.
There are many more first-evers for Correa after his Monday performance. He’s the youngest shortstop to ever hit a postseason home run. He’s the 11th youngest, ever. With his second home run of the night in the seventh inning, he became just the second youngest player in MLB history to hit multiple home runs in a postseason game. All in all, he finished this historic game 4 for 4 with two homers, a double, and four RBI in Game 4.
A modest suggestion: write this name down. Go watch him play like a complete grown up. One day – student loans paid – you will proudly tell your grandchildren, “I saw that guy play.”