MLB outfielder Corbin Carroll looks to make a big leap in his official rookie year. The 22-year-old is now entering the second year of his MLB career. Although despite already playing in the big leagues, Carroll is still considered a rookie for the 2023 season due to having less than 130 at-bats in 2022. In just 32 games, the Arizona Diamondbacks centerfielder played great baseball finishing the season with a .260 average (AVG), .330 on-base percentage (OBP), .500 slugging percentage (SLG) and .830 on-base + slugging percentage (OPS). The pressure is on as he looks to take his game to a new level for his official rookie year campaign.
Carroll’s left-handed swing is a thing of beauty as seen after blasting his first big league home run.
The Journey to the Big Leagues
Carroll was drafted 16th overall in the first round by the Diamondbacks of the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft out of Lakeside High School in Seattle where he was born and raised. It is common in the MLB for players to get drafted straight out of high school if they are talented enough. Since being drafted, Carroll has consistently been ranked as a top prospect landing in the MLB top 100 prospects.
MLB Prospect Ranking:
MLB Prospect Ranking:
- Pre-2020: #89
- Pre-2021: #47
- Pre-2022: #19
- Pre-2023: #2
As mentioned Carroll has always been touted as a top prospect. He was considered one of the most athletic players in the 2019 draft. He had a strong start in 2019 but didn’t get to play in 2020 due to covid. On top of the canceled season in 2021, Carroll only played seven games before being shut down by shoulder surgery. Despite the setback, Carroll still killed it in 2022. In his 33 games in Triple AAA playing for the Reno Aces before being called up to the big leagues batting he had a strong stat line:
| Games | At Bats | Runs | Walks | Hits | RBI | Homeruns | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 33 | 129 | 25 | 24 | 37 | 22 | 7 | .287 | .408 | .535 | .943 |
Scouting Grades
- Hit: 65
- Power: 55
- Run: 80
- Arm: 55
- Field: 70
- Overall: 65
An overall score of 65 or better puts that player on a scale that could see them developing into a future all-star caliber player.
2023 Outlook: Balling in the Big Leagues
Carroll is currently the favorite to win the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year. He is the second-rank prospect in the MLB pipelines for 2023 right behind Baltimore Orioles Second Baseman Gunnar Henderson.
Scouts have also assessed Carroll as a five-tool player as well which is one of the highest-touted praise a player can receive. This means a player has five skills, abilities or “tools” in their arsenal: hitting, hitting for power, running, fielding and throwing. Though Carroll has only played 32 games in the MLB, he displayed enough to show why he’s a five-tool player. For example, on top of his solid stat line, he ranked in the 65th percentile in arm strength and 100th percentile in Sprint Speed and was 0.3 ft/s ahead of the next highest total. His speed specifically, is an x-factor of his game. The video below explains itself
Improvements:
- Carroll looks to lower his high 27.4% Strike Out Percentage
- Improve his hitting against left-handed pitchers (LHP). In 28 at-bats against LHP, he batted .179 avg and even sat out games when the Diamondbacks faced left-handed pitchers.
The Sky is the Limit
Carroll’s blazing speed could bring him over 20 stolen bases in 2023. His fast hands, and ability to get on base could see him being an All-Star in just a couple of years. He will look to get plenty of opportunities to improve in Spring Training. He will most likely be on the Diamondbacks’ starting opening-day roster, batting lead-off and playing in centerfield as well. Despite setbacks from injuries and covid, he continued to play great baseball. More specifically, the consistency to improve is promising for a young ball player looking to make to take his game to new heights in 2023. It will be an exciting season for Carroll and his official MLB rookie campaign.