HOUSTON -- Jean Carlos Correa, the younger brother of Astros shortstop and 2015 American League Rookie of the Year Carlos Correa, has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Alvin Community College, which is about 30 miles south of Minute Maid Park.
Jean Carlos Correa, a 5-foot-10 shortstop out of Puerto Rico, is a senior at the Puerto Rican Baseball Academy, which is the same school that produced his brother, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 Draft and a budding star in the AL.
"We are very excited," Alvin coach Jason Schreiber said. "We're excited about the player. We're excited about him as a player in our program. We think he's going to definitely help us on the field and off the field."
Correa isn't as big as his 6-foot-4 brother, but Schreiber said he has all the tools to be a very good player.
"He's very good defensively and has some pop in the bat," Schreiber said. "He's not as tall as his brother, so that may be a reason why we get him on campus. I think if he was as tall as his brother, he would probably be drafted really high in the Draft as well. He runs really well and is just an overall good player."
Correa isn't likely to be a high pick in the June Draft, according to scouts, which makes it more likely he won't sign and will wind up going to Alvin. The earliest Correa could be on campus is August, making him eligible to begin playing for the Dolphins next spring.
"There's a shot we may never see him on campus, but we're holding out hope he shows up in August," Schreiber said.
Of course, having the brother of one of baseball's best young players on the roster could lead to a few visits to campus from Carlos Correa himself. That would be beneficial, Schreiber said.
"I think that would be fantastic," he said. "Any time some pro guys come out and talk to our guys, I think we get a lot out of that."
Schreiber said Jean Carlos Correa was being recruited heavily by junior colleges in Florida, but Correa ultimately wanted to be closer to his brother.
"So the great thing about Alvin is we're about 25 minutes from a Major League game, and it works out well," he said.
Alvin is the hometown of Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, who was born and raised there before embarking on a 27-year Major League career.