MLB Playoffs: Corbin Carroll Off To Historic Start Ahead Of NLCS Against Phillies

Image credit: Corbin Carroll rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning against the Dodgers during Game 1 of the Division Series. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

It’s no exaggeration to say the D-backs go as Corbin Carroll goes.

The 23-year-old outfielder became the first rookie to record a 25-homer, 50-steal season this season and powered the D-backs to the first playoff berth since 2017. He was named BA Rookie of the Year for his efforts.

Now in his first postseason, Carroll is continuing to take the lead.

The D-backs are 5-0 after sweeping the National League Central champion Brewers and NL West champion Dodgers in the first two rounds of the playoffs. They begin the National League Championship against the Phillies on Monday as one of only two teams, along with the Rangers, who have yet to lose a game this postseason.

Carroll has not only played a starring role in making that happen, but a historic one.

Carroll enters the NLCS batting .412/.565/.824 this postseason. His. 565 on-base percentage and 1.389 OPS are the second-highest by a rookie in playoff history with at least 20 plate appearances. Jorge Soler holds the records with a .600 on-base percentage and 1.705 OPS for the 2015 Cubs.

Overall, Carroll has reached base in 13 of his first 23 career postseason plate appearances while batting either first or second in the D-backs order.

“We try not to say that there was one target on our on our roster,” D-backs manager Torey Luvollo said after Game 2 of the NLDS. “We believe in being nine strong. But Corbin has an unbelievable knack for rising to the occasion, for understanding what the at-bat is asking for and then going out there and executing it. I look at him often and I cannot believe that he’s 23 years old. I look at him often and I’m thankful he’s going to be going back for the next 10 years.”

Playoff Rookies With 20+ Plate Appearances

Year	Player	Team	OBP
2015	Jorge Soler	Cubs	.600
2023	Corbin Carroll	D-backs	.565
2023	Evan Carter	Rangers	.560
2020	Jake Cronenworth	Padres	.543
1931	Pepper Martin	Cardinals	.538
2001	Ichiro Suzuki	Mariners	.488
1996	Andruw Jones	Braves	.486
1909	Donie Bush	Tigers	.483
2002	Michael Cuddyer	Twins	.455
2023	Edouard Julien	Twins	.455

Source: Baseball-Reference

Indeed, Carroll has already shown a knack for rising to the occasion when his team needs it most.

In the D-backs playoff opener against the Brewers—Carroll’s first career postseason game—he hit a two-run homer off Corbin Burnes to kickstart a D-backs rally after they fell behind 3-0. In Game 2, he hit a crucial double and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth-inning to fuel another D-backs rally and help them take the series.

In Game 1 of the NLDS against the 100-win Dodgers, Carroll got the scoring started with an RBI single in the first inning off Clayton Kershaw and homered in the second inning off Emmet Sheehan to lead the D-backs to an 11-2 rout. In Game 2, he reached base four times in five plate appearances out of the leadoff spot to pace the D-backs to a 4-2 victory. In Game 3, his only hitless game of the postseason, he added a walk and a stolen base as the D-backs finished off the sweep.

“Just trying to stay in the moment,” Carroll said during the Dodgers series. “Stay in the present. Not let kind of anything in the past or the future and dictate where I am.

“I feel like I pride myself on my preparation. I think that’s kind of stayed consistent throughout the playoffs.”

There was a point earlier this season where it seemed like Carroll was tailing off. On July 6, he exited a game against the Mets after injuring his surgically-repaired right shoulder on a swing. Though he was back in the lineup the next day, Carroll hit just .214/.310/.357 over his next 35 games. In that time, the D-backs fell from first place to third place in the NL West and outside of the NL playoff picture.

But when his team needed it most, Carroll delivered. Beginning with a doubleheader on Aug. 19, Carroll bounced back to hit .338/.400/.528 the rest of the way. With Carroll setting the pace, the D-backs surged into the final NL wild card spot.

“He worked extremely hard to put himself in that position to be able to make adjustments pitch to pitch and swing to swing,” Luvollo said. “The league made an adjustment to him somewhere around the all-star break. I think he took it personal to go out and find a way to make days like (Game 2 of the NLDS) happen by learning and growing every single day during the season.”

Now, Carroll has the D-backs in the NLCS for the first time since 2007. They’ve been the heavy underdog in each of their playoff series so far and have come away victorious every game.

If Carroll continue his historic postseason performance, another upset of the defending NL champion Phillies—and the D-backs first World Series appearance since 2001—doesn’t feel so far-fetched.

“He’s definitely giving us a boost for sure,” D-backs outfielder Alek Thomas said. “Getting on base all the time, stealing bases, and doing whatever he can to help the team. Him being on base is like an automatic run almost. He’s been awesome and hopefully we can continue that and create more.”