Amidst speculation, Correa stays hot

There are plenty of baseball players with great tools. Others are smart ballplayers. There aren't many who can combine the two at age 20. But that's what Carlos Correa brings to the table.

The Astros' top prospect homered as part of his third straight three-hit game as Double-A Corpus Christi beat Midland, 6-1, on Tuesday.

Correa put the finishing touches on the Hooks' five-run second inning by slugging a three-run long ball to cap the frame. The 20-year-old shortstop added a pair of singles and stole two bases while continuing the momentum he generated as the walk-off hero Monday night.

"He's just having quality at-bat after quality at-bat," hitting coach Dan Radison said. "He hit a fastball up for a home run [Tuesday]. They change speeds on him, they pitch him in, they try to do everything to him and he's handled it all pretty well. He's wise beyond his years."

The three hits raised Correa's average to .398 and he leads the Texas League with 28 RBIs and 72 total bases. Given his age, it would have been reasonable to expect him to struggle in his first exposure to Double-A pitching, but thus far, he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.

"There's nobody surprised that he's playing well," Radison said. "You don't have to be a great scout to see this guy. The tools, the way the swing works, the way he goes about his business, the maturity he has, he's got the whole package."

With the two steals, MLB.com's No. 3 prospect is 13-for-13 in stolen-base attempts this season and has not been thrown out since June 4, 2014 with Class A Advanced Lancaster.

"I think it's his baseball acumen across the board," Radison said. "He's way ahead of his time. He's got great instinct, he reads pitchers, he understands the game, he understands what the pitchers are trying to do to him. He's a really smart player with great tools. You got great tools and the smart player and the work ethic and the desire he has, there's nothing lacking here. He's the whole package in every aspect."

With Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow telling the Houston Chronicle he thinks Correa could be with Triple-A Fresno by the end of the week, Radison feels that his experience in the Texas League will serve him well when a promotion does come.

"I don't think it's going to be a big jump for him," he said. "They pitch to him here like a Triple-A pitcher would pitch him. They pitch him backwards often, they try to bust him in, they try to do to him everything a Triple-A pitcher would do. I don't think it's going to be a huge step for him."

Tony Kemp had two hits and drove in a run while Tyler Heineman scored twice for the Hooks.

Chris Devenski gave up two hits while striking out six over four innings, but did not figure into the decision for the Hooks. Mitch Lambson (2-1) tossed a perfect inning of relief to earn the win.