Carlos Correa Debut, Stellar MLB Draft Highlight Astros' Bright Future

The hype surrounding Carlos Correa's debut was dampened, literally and figuratively, on Monday.

On a night when foul weather twice delayed play, the heralded Houston Astros rookie did collect his first big league hit, an RBI infield single that was initially ruled an out, with the call overturned upon review. Ultimately, though, his team lost to the Chicago White Sox, 3-1. 

On balance, however, it was a good day for the 'Stros. Because they got their No. 1 pick from the 2012 draft on the field, sure, the guy general manager Jeff Luhnow said "could be a great major league player for a long time," per ESPN.com news services.

But also because of a 2015 draft haul that bolsters the farm Correa just left behind.

With two of the top five picks in Monday's draft, Houston tapped LSU shortstop Alex Bregman and high school outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Then, with the No. 37 pick, the Astros nabbed Daz Cameron, ranked as the No. 12 player in the draft by ESPN's Keith Law and the No. 5 player by Baseball America. 

Let's start with Bregman, one of a trio of shortstops to go in the Top Three, the first time that's happened in draft history, as SI MLB noted:

Law projects Bregman as a second baseman, but also praises him as "perhaps the best pure hitter in the class...an above-average regular who hits for high averages and OBPs, with a little more pop than you'd expect from his small frame."

The Astros, of course, already have a second baseman by the name of Jose Altuve and, now, a shortstop by the name of Carlos Correa.

They'll worry about that if and when the 21-year-old Bregman hits his way to the big leagues. The bottom line is that they added a top-tier talent, always a smart strategy regardless of positional need.

Tucker, meanwhile, joins a minor league system that already includes his brother, Preston Tucker.

Preston, like Correa, was drafted by the Astros in 2012 and currently owns a .263/.330/.438 slash line in 80 at-bats with the big club.

Kyle may be the more promising of the two. How about this for high praise: An unnamed scout told Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan earlier this spring that the younger Tucker boasted "the best swing in the draft."

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Then there's Daz Cameron, the son of former MLB outfielder Mike Cameron.

Law believes the 18-year-old Cameron can remain a center fielder with his plus speed. He fell as far as he did, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, because of an asking price that could be in the $5 million range.

Signing Cameron, Heyman added, is feasible regardless of cost because of the Astros' $17.3 million draft allotment. 

The Astros' draft haul, Heyman pointed out, mirrors recent history:

"

The Astros did something similar in the draft two years ago, when they landed [Correa], long considered baseball's best prospect who played his first major-league game Monday, at No. 1 overall, and managed also to get Lance McCullers Jr.—a right-hander taking the majors by storm—and good-hitting infielder Rio Ruiz.

"

All of this year's draft-day action, of course, was set to the backdrop of Houston's expectation-defying season. Even after Monday's soggy defeat, the Astros sit atop the American League West at 34-25.

Yes, they're currently on a five-game losing skid. But as each day passes and they remain in first place, they look less like a flash in the pan and more like legitimate contenders.

With more talent now in the pipeline (assuming everyone signs) and a fresh, sparkling stud in Correa ready to contribute now, these 'Stros truly appear prepared for liftoff.

All statistics current as of June 8 and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.