Two seasons after finishing with the worst record in the National League, the Diamondbacks are back in the MLB playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Quick rebuilds like that don't happen overnight. Arizona hit the jackpot when they drafted future superstar outfielder Corbin Carroll, whose instant impact has been the catalyst of a postseason push.
The Diamondbacks selected Carroll out of high school with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft. He was initially dubbed as their fifth-best prospect before tearing through rookie ball, Double-A and Triple-A with 28 home runs, 87 RBI, 52 stolen bases and a jaw-dropping .310/.426/.588 slash line.
By the end of the 2022 season, Carroll jumped up to the Diamondbacks' second-ranked prospect and he got the call to make his big league debut in late August.
There was no doubt that Carroll would be a part of Arizona's Opening Day roster in 2023, and the 23-year-old wasted no time to show just how electrifying he can be as a five-tool threat.
Corbin Carroll stats: Why Diamondbacks star is odds-on NL Rookie of the Year favorite in 2023
Carroll is the runaway favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year after posting a historic first full season in the bigs.
The rising star played in 155 of 162 regular season games, leading all major league rookies in hits, triples and total bases while finishing top-five in doubles, home runs, RBI, batting average, slugging percentage, OPS and strikeout percentage.
You can find his full stats from the 2023 MLB regular season below.
| 2023 season | |
| Hits | 161 |
| R | 116 |
| 2B | 30 |
| 3B | 10* |
| HR | 25 |
| RBI | 76 |
| SB | 54 |
| AVG | .285 |
| OBP | .362 |
| SLG | .506 |
| OPS | .868 |
*MLB leader.
Carroll's combination of power and speed placed him in a category of his own, becoming the only rookie in MLB history to record 25 home runs and 50 stolen bases. When you factor in his 10 triples, he is the only player — not just rookies — in MLB history to hit those benchmarks.
Carroll's unprecedented rookie season gives the Diamondbacks one of the most valuable franchise cornerstones in MLB, but the future is now. After his 2023 campaign, the 23-year-old has already placed himself in the conversation with other stars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Julio Rodriguez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto and Bobby Witt Jr. as the best young hitters under 25.
2023 NL Rookie of the Year odds
Carroll's rookie season was so incomparable to his peers that many sportsbooks have taken down the option to bet on the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year.
On Sept. 26 — just five days before the regular season ended — Carroll closed at -10000 odds to win the award, according to BetMGM.
BetMGM has since pulled the NL Rookie of the Year odds from its website, but you can find the closing odds below.
| Player | Team | Position | Odds |
| Corbin Carroll | Diamondbacks | OF | -10000 |
| Kodai Senga | Mets | SP | +1400 |
| Matt McLain | Reds | SS | +15000 |
| James Outman | Dodgers | OF | +15000 |
| Spencer Steer | Reds | 1B | +15000 |
