Corbin Carroll Continues to Rake: Carroll’s Sizzling Start to 2025

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Standing 5 '10”, 165 pounds, Corbin Carroll is sandwiched between prominent power hitters Cal Raleigh and his Diamondback teammate Eugenio Suarez, in the home run leader statistics this season. Carroll is providing a punch at the top of the lineup for the D-backs to start 2025 as he recovers from his sophomore slump.

The Seattle native is currently slashing .279/.352/.589 with 14 home runs and a league-leading five triples. On Friday, the D-backs defeated the Colorado Rockies 8-0, with Carroll going 2-for-5 in the series opener. Carroll reached a historic feat that has not been accomplished in over six decades in the victory. 

Carroll is the first player since Hall of Fame third baseman Eddie Mathews in 1959 with at least 14 home runs, 50 hits, and 5 triples through his team’s first 45 games of a season. Carroll was also on a modest seven-game on-base streak, before yesterday afternoon’s O-fer. During that streak, he was slashing .310/.394/.724 with three homers.

Carroll made his debut in 2022, but did not exceed the at-bat limit for a rookie (104 at-bats), which pushed his rookie season back to 2023. In 2023, the D-backs top prospect had the best rookie season in franchise history. He would slash .285/.362/.506 with 25 home runs, 54 stolen bases, and a NL-leading ten triples. Carroll would win NL Rookie of Year honors unanimously, earn an All-MLB first team selection, and lead the D-backs to their first NL pennant in 22 seasons.

In 2024, Carroll would slip in his sophomore season. He would slash .231/.322/.428, but still pop 22 long balls and a league-leading 14 triples. The reduced production was a result of a right shoulder injury that started to bother him in July 2023 and would nag him throughout the 2024 season. Carroll insisted that he was fine and still played in 158 games, but it was apparent that he was limited by the injury both offensively and defensively. The injury combined with the league developing a better way to attack Carroll’s weaknesses affected his performance.

Despite the D-Backs having a higher winning percentage in 2024, they would miss the playoffs a year after winning the NL pennant. Finishing with an 89-73 record in a competitive NL West. Carroll’s struggles had an impact on his mental health, as he mentioned he “never underperformed like this” when talking about his inconsistency in 2024. 

The D-Backs are off to a slow start again to start 2025, but it is a positive sign that their franchise player is fully healthy and performing well at the dish and in the field. The D-Backs are currently fourth in the NL West, and took 2-of-3 from the Colorado Rockies this past weekend. 

Now they start a six-game road trip against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Carroll has struggled against the Dodgers throughout his career. Batting .225 with a .703 OPS in 138 at-bats. Carroll looks to turn it around and lead the D-backs to their third straight series win.

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Elias Meredith (@EAM_55)