Houston Astros rookie Corey Julkes makes strong case to be a starter after red hot start to season: "Julkamania brother"

Corey Julkes was not a name familiar to Houston Astros fans when their team swept to their second World Series title in six years last fall.

Julkes, a Houston-area native, was selected in the eighth round by his hometown team back in 2017. Ever since, the right-handed utility man has been toiling away in the minor leagues.

In 130 games for the Astros' Triple-A affiliate last season, Corey Julks hit .270/.351/.503 with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs. On March 30, he was finally called up to the Astros.

Corey Julkes registered his first career hit in his first career at-bat, coming against Lance Lynn of the Chicago White Sox. Two weeks later, the 27-year old hit his first career home run against Rich Hill of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

On April 23, Julkes registered his seventh RBI of the season in the top of the 9th inning against the Atlanta Braves. Julkes' RBI single scored Kyle Tucker to put the Houston Astros up 3-2. The Astros added a pair of insurance runs to beat the Braves 5-2 and complete the series sweep.

"Corey Julks" - Houston Astros

Houston Astros fans took to Twitter following the dramatic win to shower praise on Julkes, who many fans now believe should have been offered a chance by their team sooner.

Before attending the University of Houston, Julkes attended Clear Brook High School in Friendswood, Texas and grew up watching the Astros. His local hero persona has also been driving positivity from the fanbase.

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker has been tasked with the unenviable task of determining where to play Julkes. So far, Corey Julkes has appeared in 16 games, splitting his time between left field and the DH spot.

Corey Julkes could be the newest member of the Astros core

Although fans are rightfully enthused by the out-of-the-blue performance from Julkes, it remains to be seen whether or not they would prefer him over all-round stud Kyle Tucker or AL MVP contender Yordan Alvarez in the outfield on a long-term basis.

Coming into the 2022 season, Astros fans thought that they had a perfect lineup. With second baseman Jose Altuve on the IL and infielders Alex Bregman and Jeremy Pena both having sluggish starts, it looks as though Julkes might have a serious shot at becoming part of the core of one of baseball's best teams in recent history.