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Prospect Man to Man: Carlos Correa vs George Springer

Ray asks the Fake Teams readers who they would rather own in their keeper league: Carlos Correa or George Springer.

By Ray Guilfoyle
USA TODAY Sports

The Fake Teams Prospect team has done a wonderful job with the Top 10 Fantasy Prospects series this offseason, publishing their top 10 fantasy prospects for the Houston Astros on Monday. After reading their terrific article on the Astros top 10 and their bright future, I wondered who will be the better player for fantasy owners: George Springer or Carlos Correa.

Today,I am going to ask you, our loyal readers, who you would rather own in a keeper league: Springer or Correa. I saw this done over at Baseball Prospectus this offseason, and here on Fake Teams by David Morris Jr., comparing big leaguers.

When discussing Springer and Correa, their proximity to the big leagues is the first question you have to ask yourself. Actually, I had to answer this exact question in my AL only keeper league MiLB draft last March, and I really went back and forth with this decision, as both Springer and Correa were available with the 6th pick (I think). I chose Springer since he was closer to the big leagues and had the potential to be a 20 home run, 20 stolen base hitter in the big leagues. He kicked that potential up a few notches with his amazing 2013 season where he hit 37 home runs and stole 46 bases. With the power/speed potential comes lots of strikeouts, though. On the bright side, he did show improvement in the strikeout rate after his promotion to AAA last season.

Below is an excerpt from the Springer profile in the Astros Top 10 article:

An outstanding athlete, Springer realistically might have four plus tools when he's done developing. While the 37 bombs were hit in hitter-friendly environments, he's got legitimate 30+ homer power, a trait that's become increasingly rare in prospects. He also runs well, grading as a 65 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale. Springer gets quality reads, both on the bases and in centerfield, which allow his speed to play up. The 46 steals were no fluke and it would be no surprise if he approaches that total in the big leagues. And of course he's got a strong, accurate arm as well, making him a true two-way threat.

Springer has all the tools to be a fantasy stud, but with that comes the potential for a low batting average and a high whiff rate.

Correa, on the other hand, played his age 18 season in Low A, hitting .320-.405-.467 with 9 home runs, 73 runs, 86 RBI and 10 stolen bases, He showed excellent plate discipline, striking out at a 16% rate, while walking in 11% of his plate appearances.

Our prospect team ranked Correa as their #1 fantasy prospect in their Astros top 10, and ranked Springer at #3, behind pitching prospect, and 2013 first round pick, Mark Appel. As a Springer supporter and owner, I would have ranked him above Appel, as I usually lean toward hitting prospects over pitching prospects.

Here is an excerpt from the Correa profile in the Astros Top 10 article:

His hit and power both grade as future plus attributes, possibly both 70's once he gets to the big leagues. The power is a bit more divisive since it's yet to show up in games in terms of home runs, but the frame, bat speed, and probability that he'll hit are all good signs that he'll develop into a 25-35 home run a year player. The Astros at least seem to think he will, as scouting director Mike Elias described Correa as having "freak-show" power when he signed last year.

Correa is probably at least year and a half to two years away from the big leagues, but he has a very bright future, as 30 home run hitting shortstops are as common the Cubs winning the World Series.

So, Fake Teams readers, who would you rather have on your keeper league roster: Carlos Correa or George Springer? Make sure you vote in the poll below and share your thoughts on this debate in the comments.

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