Carlos Correa Has Remained a Driving Force for Astros Since Return to Team

The star third baseman has been one of the only players keeping the Houston Astros on top of the AL West standings.

Aug 17, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa (1) runs up the first base line after hitting a single against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Daikin Park. | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The chase for the American League West pennant looks like it is going to go down to the wire over the next several weeks, with the Houston Astros doing everything in their power to hold off the Seattle Mariners, who remain hot on their heels at just a game-and-a-half back.

The two sides have occupied the top of the table out west for most of the season, with the Astros holding the top spot since the end of May when they overtook the Mariners after getting out to a relatively slow start.

Houston had been on fire for much of the summer, running their divisional lead up to as high as 10 games at one point over Seattle, but the onslaught of injuries they've had to endure have finally started to catch up with them in recent weeks which has, in turn, led to the Mariners creeping their way back into the picture.

There's a real argument to be made that Seattle would have already surpassed the Astros for first place if not for the elite play of one man in Houston's lineup, and that would be none other than third baseman Carlos Correa.

Correa spent the first seven years of his big league career in an Astros uniform, and the organization decided to make a massive move at the trade deadline to bring the former World Series hero back home in a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Twins.

It's safe to say that Correa hasn't missed a beat since returning to H-Town, as the three-time All-Star has arguably been the best hitter in all of baseball since making his return to the organization that gave him his start in the MLB.

The best trade deadline acquisitions by fWAR since the deadline ended on 7/31:

• Carlos Correa HOU (0.6 fWAR)
• Ramon Laureano SDP (0.6)
• Freddy Fermin SDP (0.5)
• Adam Frazier KCR (0.5)
• Zack Littell CIN (0.5)
• Dietrich Enns BAL (0.5) pic.twitter.com/e2w95SsNos

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) August 18, 2025

Across the 14 games Correa has played for Houston since being traded to the team, he's slashing .339/.393/.482 across 56 at-bats, and has driven in eight total RBIs while also slugging two homers for the Stros.

He's also maintained his typically elite form at the hot corner, which has led to him accumulating 0.6 fWAR since being traded. This figure is tied with San Diego Padres' deadline acquisition Ramon Laureano for the most among any player who was traded.

The stats certainly speak for themselves, but even they don't fully show just how impactful Correa has been for Houston since making his return to the team. He's been the team's best hitter over that span and has stabilized an infield that injuries have ravaged.

Simply put, it's hard to imagine that the Astros would still be clinging to first place in the division without the boost that Correa has provided them both offensively and defensively. If they do manage to fend off Seattle down the stretch, then Houston's decision to trade for Correa could end up being one of the best trade deadline acquisitions in recent memory.