D-Backs' rookie phenom Corbin Carroll is the real deal
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Corbin Carroll bats against the Washington Nationals on June 22. Photo: G Fiume/Getty Images
The Arizona Diamondbacks are one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 Major League Baseball season, and 22-year-old rookie Corbin Carroll is a big part of that.
State of play: Carroll is arguably the leading candidate for National League Rookie of the Year, and even one of the top contenders for the NL's Most Valuable Player award.
- The online betting service FanDuel lists Carroll as the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year, and trails only Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in the MVP race.
- Carroll played only 32 games last season, so he's still eligible for the 2023 Rookie of the Year award.
- He was also named one of four finalists for two outfield spots on the NL All-Star roster, along with teammate Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
By the numbers: At one point last week, the rookie outfielder led the NL in slugging percentage at .576 and was second in on-base plus slugging (OPS) at .956, though his slugging has slipped to .558 (second) and his OPS is now .927 (tied for fourth).
- He's hitting only .167 over his past seven games but is still batting .290 (10th in the NL), has 16 homers (tied for seventh) and 41 RBI (tied for 12th).
- Carroll has also stolen 23 bases, second in the NL to Acuña's whopping 35.
- And he's tied for second in the NL and tied for third in the majors overall in wins above replacement (WAR) at 3.7.
The big picture: Carroll ended last season as one of the few bright spots on a lackluster D-backs squad that finished fourth in the NL West but showed at least some promise for the future.
- At the start of the season, Arizona was widely expected to improve yet wasn't considered a likely playoff contender.
- Now, the D-backs' 47-32 record is best in the NL West — where they lead their big-spending rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres — and second in the NL to the Braves.
1 big distinction: Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci made the case last week that Carroll got off to one of the best statistical 100-game starts of any MLB player in history.
- Verducci contended that Carroll started stronger than even three-time American League MVP Mike Trout — "the gold standard for great phenoms of this generation."
What they're saying: "Few players in the history of the game have made a 100-game impact with a combination of power and speed like Carroll," Verducci wrote.