MLB Throwback: When Carlos Correa defended Jose Altuve's MVP title

When Carlos Correa defended Jose Altuve's MVP title

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 13: Jose Altuve #27 is congratulated by teammate Carlos Correa #1 of the Houston Astros after hitting a solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning in Game Three of the American League Championship Series at PETCO Park on October 13, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images); NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 09: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on against the Cleveland Indians during the second inning in Game Four of the American League Divisional Series at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) — SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 13: Jose Altuve #27 is congratulated by teammate Carlos Correa #1 of the Houston Astros after hitting a solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning in Game Three of the American League Championship Series at PETCO Park on October 13, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images); NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 09: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on against the Cleveland Indians during the second inning in Game Four of the American League Divisional Series at Yankee Stadium

In February 2020, former Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa stepped up to validate Jose Altuve's 2017 MVP title over Aaron Judge. Following the Houston Astros' widespread sign-stealing plot in 2020, Cody Bellinger, the former Los Angeles Dodgers slugger, accused Altuve of taking Judge's 2017 MVP trophy.

In an interview with "The Athletic," Correa defended Jose Altuve and stated:

"Altuve has played the game clean. Always. Always. He earned that MVP."

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"Carlos Correa defends Jose Altuve's MVP title, responds to Bellinger." - ABC13 Houston

Carlos Correa, who played for the Houston Astros from 2015 to 2021, likewise stated categorically that the Astros legitimately won the 2017 World Series.

Carlos Correa came up with an explanation for why Jose Altuve didn't join the celebration in 2019

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 25: Carlos Correa #1 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a walk off single in the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox, May 25, 2019

In October 2019, Houston Astros’ second baseman Jose Altuve hit a majestic home run in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. This sent the team to the World Series. As Altuve's teammates were about to mob him and rip off his jersey, he signaled to them not to pull off the stunt.

A video of the event sparked rumors about Jose Altuve using an electrical device beneath his jersey to predict pitches.

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Five months after the incident, Carlos Correa offered an explanation as to why Altuve refused to take off his jersey in October 2019.

"He doesn’t want me to talk about this, but I’m going to say it, is because he’s got an unfinished tattoo on his collarbone that honestly looked terrible. It was a bad tattoo, and he didn’t want nobody to see it. He didn’t want to show it at all."

He continued:

"So, one, he didn’t want to take his shirt off because his wife had told my wife earlier in the year for me to not do that. So he was telling me not to do it. And, number two, he had an unfinished tattoo that looked kinda bad that he didn’t want people to see and people to talk about. That was the reason."

After spending seven MLB seasons with the Houston Astros, Correa chose to sign a $105.3 million deal with the Minnesota Twins in 2021. However, in October 2022, Correa opted out and joined the free agency. The San Francisco Giants recently signed the shortstop to a 13-year $350 million contract. It is currently the second-biggest free-agent contract in MLB history.

Edited by John Maxwell