Minnesota Twins star Carlos Correa has admitted that he would “boo himself” after his recent performances.
Correa recently signed a new contract with the Twins reportedly worth $200million (£160m) over a six-year contract in January. The extension came amid apparent interest from the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants.
Correa started his Major League Baseball career with the Houston Astros in 2015, where he would win rookie of the year and spend six years in Texas. After being twice named an MLB All-Star, the 28-year-old signed for the Twins in 2021.
The Twins are currently top of the American League (AL) Central with a 20-17 record so far this season. However, their recent game saw them lose 6-1 to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Correa went 0 for 5 in that game with a mere .185 batting average. The Twins shortstop also left six runners stranded on base, which has led to increasing criticism over his performances since his new deal.
“I'd boo myself too with the amount of money I'm making, if I'm playing like that,” Correa is quoted saying. “Obviously, it's acceptable. It's part of the game, part of sports. Fans want production, and fans want a team that's going to compete out there and win games. It's to be expected when you play poorly.
“But at the same time, the work doesn't stop. I'm going to keep working and keep focusing on the things I can control, and the results will come.”
Despite the recent form, which has seen the Twins win just four of their last 10 games, they are still top of the AL Central ahead of second-placed Detroit Tigers. Correa says that despite the form of the team and himself, the Twins are still in a good position in the early months of the season.
“Even though we haven't been playing our best baseball, even though I haven't been playing my best baseball, we're in a good spot when it comes to the division,” Correa added. “When I get right, when we get right as a team, then we're going to be playing better baseball and hopefully build a bigger lead.”
The Twins won the second game against the Padres 4-3 on Wednesday, as they have their third game on Thursday evening. After that the Twins have another home three-game series, this time against the Chicago Cubs, who are third in the National League (NL) Central.