Rising star Correa brings 'bulletproof' mindset to camp

Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, the former No. 1 pick and 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, arrived at camp Friday looking like a 21-year-old phenom on the verge of graduating to superstardom.

Decked out in sunglasses with his hat turned backward, Correa spent his first day of spring training posing for an Adidas photoshoot, talking about his role in the upcoming Roberto Clemente biopic, and insisting he belongs in the same conversation as MVP winners Bryce Harper and Mike Trout.

"That's the way I want them to look at me," Correa told reporters, according to the Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellich. "The thing I bring to the table is I'm bilingual. ... Hopefully I can do a lot of great things for the sport of baseball and I can not only help here in the States, but the Latin community as well."

He added: "I never doubt myself because I prepare every offseason to have a lot of confidence when I step on the field. My mind is bulletproof, man. Nobody can tell me I'm not going to get better, nobody can tell me I'm not going to do this or that. I'm going to go out there and try to perform and do the best for the team."

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

Despite all the fanfare, cameras, and flashing lights, Correa, who hit an Astros rookie-record 22 homers and posted an .857 OPS over his first 99 major-league games, said he's trying to remain grounded. He tempered obvious confidence with a measure of humility that he believes is key to his development.

"For me, it's pretty much the same as last year: I'm going to go there like I'm competing for a spot, and I'm just going to go out there and work hard every single day, and try to impress people. It's no different."