Correa named top newcomer of 2015, per Sports on Earth

2015 has been a special year for sports, so many rookies and fresh faces have made a huge impact on the scene. Baseball has had bright stars like Kris Bryant, Miguel Sano and Noah Syndergaard. Basketball had the phonemes Ben Simmons and Kristaps Porzingis. Not to forget, Holly Holm who humbled Ronda Rousey in MMA. But, for Astros fans, the biggest newcomer was shortstop Carlos Correa.

Correa was ranked by Sports on Earth's Will Leitch as the top sports newcomer of 2015.

In the #YearOfTheProspect, 4 @MLB rookies make @williamfleitch's top newcomers of 2015 list: https://t.co/XxosG7BAQA pic.twitter.com/DJFnQR347M

— Sports on Earth (@SportsonEarth) December 16, 2015

Correa quickly became the face of Astros baseball down the stretch for Houston's playoff run for the first time in 10 years. The rookie took home the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year award, batting third in a playoff lineup.

Correa hit .279 (108x387) with 22 doubles, 22 home runs, 68 RBI, 14 stolen bases and an .857 OPS in his 99 games in 2015. Among AL rookies, Correa ranked first in home runs, slugging (.512) and OPS, while ranking second in RBI and on-base percentage (.345), and third in batting average (min. 400 PA). With 22 home runs this season, Correa set both the franchise rookie record for home runs and the franchise record for home runs by a shortstop.

Correa became the youngest player in American League history to record a multi-homer game in the postseason, which he did in Game 4 of the ALDS. He also joined Joe DiMaggio (1936) and Mickey Mantle (1952) as just the third player in Major League history age 21 or younger to hit third in the starting lineup of a postseason game.