Brotherly Love: How Astros' Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve grew from friends to family
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- One is from Venezuela, the other from Puerto Rico. One is 5'6", the other is nearly a foot taller at 6'4."
One is 27, the other is 23.
One player's journey to the Houston Astros first began on June 4, 2012, when he was selected by the team with the first pick in that year's draft.
The other had his first brush with the Astros in his native Venezuela, when he tried out for the team, but was cut after being considered too small.
The latter player is second baseman Jose Altuve, and he persisted, debuting in the majors in July 2011. The former is shortstop Carlos Correa.
But the similarities Altuve and Correa share far outweigh any differences they could have.
They may not be related by blood, but their actions on and off the field show that these Astros stars may feel like long-lost cousins.
A timeline of posts on social media show the bond that has developed between the duo stretching back to June 8, 2015, the day that Correa made his MLB debut.
That day, he tweeted a photo with none other than Altuve, saying in part, that he was ready to learn.
Since then, the pair have appeared to be inseparable, with Correa confirming that Altuve is his best friend on the team.
"Shortstop and second baseman, we got to have communication and obviously we have a good one, we have a great relationship," Correa told La Vida Baseball in 2017.
That relationship has helped them come up big for the Astros time and again, not only leading to their World Series win, but helping them start off the 2018 season strong.
They acknowledge they are brothers from another mother, and just like family, admit that they fight.
If there was ever any doubt about how much they have each other's backs, just look at the messages they send.
Correa repeatedly refers to Altuve as his big brother, while Altuve has joked about teaching the kid, referring to Correa, a few things on the baseball field.
Their playful brotherhood was again on display during the SpringSpirit Breakfast of Champions event in Spring Branch on Feb. 6.
As Altuve gave an interview to Eyewitness News sports anchor and reporter Bob Slovak, Correa walked up to Altuve and gave him a hug.
Before Spring Training started this year, Correa and Altuve teased baseball fans with photos and videos on Instagram showing them working out together - a welcome sight for fans excited to see the Astros in action in some capacity after a thrilling and often-nail biting World Series.
In one of the videos, they're training together with the caption, "Pushing each other every single day."
In their latest adventure, Correa and Altuve are joined by teammate and fellow star George Springer in an H-E-B commercial.
All three are trying their hands at being coffee connoisseurs.
From championships to sipping on Cafe Ole, we look forward to seeing what's in store for one of Houston's favorite dynamic duos.
SEE ALSO: Top 5 things you didn't know about Carlos Correa
