Carroll graduated from Lakeside High School in Seattle, Washington in 2019, with a commit to UCLA.

During the summer of 2018, Corbin wowed scouts by dominating at the plate in almost every high-profile event he attended. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound outfielder plays above his size in every facet of the game. 

Corbin displays excellent baseball instincts, a high baseball IQ and impressive work ethic.

Carroll’s all-around package and polish could allow him to become the highest-drafted Washington high schooler this century, passing Reese McGuire (2013) and Travis Snider (2006), who were both selected with the 14th overall pick.

Carroll was committed to UCLA if he didn't sign after the 2019 Draft.

June 2019: The Diamondbacks chose Corbin in the first round (#16 overall), out of Lakeside High School in Seattle, WA. He signed for $3,745,500, via scout Dan Ramsay.

Carroll is a polished player. He is lauded for his outstanding makeup and baseball IQ. He's a gamer.

In 2020, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Corbin as the 5th-best prospect in the Diamondbacks organization. But in 2021, Carroll was #1 in D'Backs farm system. And he stayed #1 in the spring of 2022, and again in 2023!

Corbin just has a presence about him. He looks like he belongs out there.

2020 Season: Carroll continued to open eyes with his play at the alternate training site in 2020, when he excelled against far more advanced pitchers. He looked so mature in his all-around game that some wondered, albeit prematurely, if he might be the rare fast-to-the-majors high school player.

Corbin is undersized physically at a listed 5-foot-10. That gives him something in common not only with other prospects in Arizona’s system but also Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr., all of whom were drafted by the Red Sox under Amiel Sawdaye, who now oversees amateur scouting for the D-backs. Carroll is strong, wiry and tremendously athletic. (Nick Piecoro - BA Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2021)

2021 Season: Carroll, saw his season ended after only seven games, with a shoulder issue that required surgery. Still, a slash line of .435/.552/.913 for a 1.465 OPS offers a tantalizing taste of what could be to come for him, in 2022 and beyond.

How Carroll’s tools play after his injury remains a question. Not only did surgery cost him a year of development, but the procedure was anything but minor, meaning he will have to prove he can get back to being the impact player he was. He has shown upside in limited action but has just 215 career plate appearances in parts of three seasons.

Feb 10, 2022: D-backs most athletic prospect – Corbin Carroll, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 20)

Oh, what could have been. Carroll was already lauded for his plus-plus speed, easy plus defense in center and 60-grade hit tool when he added strength heading into 2021. He showed it all off quickly by going 10-for-23 (.435) with five extra-base hits and three steals in seven games at High-A Hillsboro before a shoulder injury ended his season in May. The profile remains stellar and, barring any health setbacks, it isn’t hard to imagine Carroll picking right back up in 2022. (Mayo, Callis, Dykstra - MLB.com - Feb 10, 2022)

Feb 25, 2022: Carroll draws rave reviews from the organization not just for his work on the field, but also for the way he studies and thinks about the game of baseball.

One thing not on Carroll's mind these days as he participates in the D-backs' early Minor League camp is his right (non-throwing) shoulder, which he injured while hitting a home run last May. Carroll sustained a posterior capsular avulsion and a labrum tear, which required surgery and kept him off the field for the rest of the season.

Still, the D-backs' No. 1 pick (16th overall) out of high school in the 2019 MLB Draft spent plenty of time around the game. He rehabbed at the team's Salt River Fields complex, while also sitting behind home plate at Chase Field during a number of home games, picking the brains of baseball scouts. Carroll began his swing progression last October and is now a full go during drills.

"Feeling really good," Carroll said. "Just great to be back out there. Great to have that new energy of all the guys around here again. Got lonely here at Salt River."

Carroll, who is ranked as the organization's No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is hoping for his first full professional campaign in 2022.

The 21-year-old got in part of a season after signing in 2019, spent 2020 at the team's alternate training site and got into just seven games for High-A Hillsboro last year before the season-ending shoulder injury.

"There's no thoughts of the shoulder anymore," he said. "And that was a really cool realization of, 'You know, it's not so much swinging with the purpose of building up volume and seeing how the shoulder reacts.' It's more, like, mechanical stuff. Kind of just feel stuff like that at this point. The second ball I put in play during my first live BP was 111 mph [off the bat]. I've got no concerns about there being something missing that was there before or anything like that."

One thing Carroll has had to adjust to is a change in his mechanics at the plate. The shoulder injury happened on the follow-through of his swing, and as a way of trying to avoid anything like that in the future, he has switched to having both hands on the bat during his follow-through, as opposed to releasing one hand.

It's a change similar to the one the Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. made last year after experiencing issues with his left shoulder during the follow-through of his swings.

"I love it," Carroll said. "I think it forces my direction to be better. And so even if I do go back to a one-handed swing, I think I'll be better for it. But I'm just noticing, you know, I think maybe even [being] a little bit more balanced in the swing, as well. I don't know how much of the swing path is really influenced by the finish, right? Because it’s occurring after contact. So I've just tried not to get too wrapped up in it and sort of let the results of these first [live sessions] kind of speak for itself. If Fernando Tatis can learn how to swing two hands in a week, I can do it in a year."

After the COVID-19 shutdown of the Minor Leagues in 2020 and last year's injury-limited season, Carroll is hopeful that 2022 will finally be his first normal professional season. Still, true to his nature, he's thankful for what the experiences have taught him and he feels lucky that in 2020 he got to face top-notch pitching at the alternate site, which he might not have seen nearly as often in a regular Class A season.

"It's felt a little different every year," Carroll said. "But I'm always someone who's very process-oriented, and at the end of the day, I think I'm going to be better for having faced all these challenges." (S Gilbert - MLB.com - Feb 25, 2022)

March 3, 2022: Carroll was one of the Minors’ hottest hitters out of the gate, going 10-for-23 (.435) with five extra-base hits in seven games for High-A Hillsboro, when he injured his shoulder in May. The injury required season-ending surgery, so we’re still eagerly awaiting Carroll’s return to action.

Corbin spent part of the downtime learning the game from scouts at Chase Field, and it could be fun to see how he puts that education into play. Carroll remains a potential five-tool star and could solidify that status with long-awaited at-bats. (Mayo, Callis, Dykstra - MLB.com - March 3, 2022) 

Aug 29, 2022: It turned out to be a rapid rise for outfielder Corbin Carroll after all, as the D-backs officially called up their top prospect from Triple-A Reno for the game against the Phillies at Chase Field. 

Carroll was selected out of Lakeside High School with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, and though he was young the D-backs thought he could move through their system quicker than most.

Consider that the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 Minor League season (he participated at the team's Alternate Training Site) and shoulder surgery robbed him of all but nine games of the 2021 season, and it makes the speed of his rise all the more impressive. Carroll opened this season with Double-A Amarillo, where he hit .313/.430/.643 and earned a midseason promotion to Reno. The jump in level didn't slow Carroll down at all, as he was hitting .287/.408/.535 at Reno when he got the call to the Major Leagues.

"He’s clearly gone to Triple-A and gotten acclimated very quickly," D-backs GM Mike Hazen said of Carroll a couple of weeks ago. "At the end of the day, he has played in 130 Minor League games. I would be hard pressed to go back and find a player who has probably climbed through the system as a high school kid in 130 games on the precipice of the big leagues." 

The D-backs, though, have always regarded Carroll as a special case, the kind of player who is mature beyond his years and able to handle the bright lights that come from playing at the highest level.

Carroll joins young outfielders Daulton Varsho, Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy. Though he's played mostly center field in the Minors, Carroll will likely shift to a corner in the big leagues with Thomas seemingly having center locked down. Varsho, too, has proven to be an elite defender in right.

How playing time will be distributed remains to be seen, but you can bet Carroll is going to get significant time somewhere.

"He’s going to play," Hazen said. "We’re not going to call him up here to sit." (S Gilbert - MLB.com - Aug 29, 2022)

In 2022, Carroll was Baseball America's D-backs Minor League Player of the Year.

2022 season: The season began, the D-backs did not know what to expect from outfielder Corbin Carroll.

Would he return at full strength from major shoulder surgery? Would the injury nag at him? Would there be certain swings that might bother him? Would he look rusty after so much downtime?

Would he struggle with the jump to Double-A in light of having just 49 games of experience since being drafted 16th overall out of high school in 2019?

As it turned out, Carroll provided the organization with the best possible answers to all of those questions.

He did not just look like his old self—he might have looked even better. Carroll managed to remain healthy, and the 22-year-old had one of the best seasons in the minor leagues.

Carroll hit .307/.425/.611 with 24 home runs, 31 stolen bases, 67 walks and 107 strikeouts in 93 games for Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno. The D-backs called him up on Aug. 29.

“I think everybody expected Corbin to have a good year," D-backs assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye said, "but I don’t know that anybody really expected him to come out after missing a full year of at-bats and just never really struggle.”

Carroll maintained a consistent approach at the plate from start to finish. He might have had a few bad games here or there, but he did not have lengthy stretches where he would chase or make poor swing decisions, Sawdaye said.

This season, Carroll managed to generate similarly impressive exit velocities as before he had surgery in May 2021 to repair labrum and capsule tears in his right shoulder. He continued to surprise onlookers with his ability to crush balls from a 5-foot-10, 165-pound frame.

A late-season taste of MLB action should help Carroll compete for the NL Rookie of the Year in 2023. If he wins ROY, it would grant the D-backs a draft pick—and roughly $2 million in bonus pool money—after the first round in 2024.  (Nick Piecoro - Sep 13, 2022)

2023: Carroll made front page of the January issue of Baseball America.

Dec 26, 2022: D-backs Carroll poised to break out in 2023: 

Carroll was ranked as the No. 3 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline when the D-backs promoted him to the big leagues in the 2022 season at the end of August.

In 103 at-bats for Arizona, Carroll hit .260/.330/.500, displayed elite-level speed, played excellent defense and recorded a 1.2 Baseball Reference WAR. The D-backs believe Carroll will be a top candidate for NL Rookie of the Year in 2023, and if the way he played in his debut campaign is any indication, that is a real possibility.  (Steve Gilbert - MLB.com - Dec 26, 2022)

MLB 2023 top outfield prospect for the D-backs - Corbin Carroll:

Carroll offers the best blend of hitting ability and speed among all prospects. He showed off his wheels after Arizona called him up last August, posting the highest average sprint speed (30.7 ft/sec) of any big leaguer in 2022. At a bare minimum, Carroll should hit for average, create havoc on the bases and contend for Gold Gloves in center field. How much power he produces will determine how big a star he becomes -- and he notably slammed four homers in his first 32 games in the Majors. (MLB Pipeline - Jan 25, 2023)

 Corbin Carroll stands tall in the box. His hands are high, tucked behind his ear, and his bat juts out from behind his helmet at a 90-degree angle. When he swings, he sinks into his legs, taps a toe and, more often than most, puts a charge into a baseball. But it’s what happens in between that’s truly unique.

The Shimmy.

As Carroll waits for the pitcher, he begins to sway. His hips thrust forward and his bat pops up. His hips thrust backward and his bat slides down. Back and forth they go, a study of motion and stillness. The quirk has become so identifiable that the Diamondbacks’ social media accounts are sure to include close-up shots of Carroll’s hips in highlight videos.

For fellow outfielder Jake McCarthy, the move is “Jack Parkman-esque,” calling to mind the character from “Major League II.” “Parkman doing his little shimmy,” Bob Uecker intones in the film. “It drives the women here in Cleveland crazy!” Carroll might not have played enough on the game’s biggest stage to send hearts aflutter across Arizona, but he’s a lock to make the opening-day roster and folks are sure to catch on. His teammates already have.

“The shimmy, I’m going to keep an eye on it,” said catcher Carson Kelly. Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed, a swing mechanic himself, appreciates Carroll’s hip rhythm. “He’s dancing up there with the pitcher,” the shortstop said. “I like it.” Like a snake lulling its prey into a trance?

“You’re stretching there a bit,” Ahmed said with a grin. It’s also made him one of the most imitated players among his teammates. “We all imitate him,” said outfielder Alek Thomas. Minor-league outfielder Jorge Barrosa is said to do a good Carroll, and third baseman Josh Rojas and hitting coach Joe Mather are known for their pitch-perfect mimicry. 

Mather has already seen opposing players copy Carroll’s swing. Someday soon, young Diamondbacks fans may do the same. Carroll may not have been going for a trademark look, and certainly not for chops-busting. But the idea of Arizona Little Leaguers doing the Corbin Carroll shimmy?

“That piece of it,” he admitted, “is pretty cool.” (Buchanan - Mar 6, 2023 - TheAthletic)

The Diamondbacks are the only team in baseball without a ROY winner — although the Padres haven’t won one since 1987 — but this year they have the favorite for the award in top prospect Corbin Carroll. Carroll is sometimes considered an NL co-favorite along with Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker. But those who know Carroll wouldn’t wager against him. “I would take that bet for sure,” said Arizona infielder Josh Rojas. “He’s one of the better players I’ve ever played with.” Again, Carroll’s played only 32 games. Under the new CBA, a player who wins ROY the same season he made the Opening Day roster nets his team an extra draft pick, which incentivizes teams to bring their best guys up to start the year. “It’s cool that I can win something that helps put our team in a better position as a franchise going forward,” he said. “Hopefully, if I won that, this draft pick turns into one of our best players. That’d be kind of cool. I’m sure Julio (Rodriguez, Mariners) feels like that with their pick this year. ‘That’s my guy.’” Carroll and Gunnar Henderson are No. 1 and No. 2 in prospect rankings, they don’t know each other well but possess mutual admiration. Both 2019 draftees, they’ve played against each other in amateur showcase events. The Diamondbacks rookie sees a similar “blue-collar approach” in his Orioles counterpart while Henderson calls Carroll, “an electric guy, really fast and plays the heck out of the outfield.” Breaking a certain awards drought for their franchises would be nice for both players, but they’re focused instead on something more team-oriented. The Orioles haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, and the Diamondbacks haven’t played a postseason game since 2017. Both have designs on making it to October this year, and that’s largely because of emerging talents like Henderson and Carroll. (Connolly-Buchanan- Mar 25, 2023 - The Athletic)

Carroll has credited his parents for much of his baseball success, acknowledging that they've kept him grounded on his journey to the big leagues. "They mean so much to me, and the support they've given me -- I feel like I owe them so much," Carroll said. Education was a point of emphasis in the Carroll household when Corbin was growing up, and he attended an elite private school that counts Bill Gates as an alum. (Scott Chiusano - April 6, 2023)

 Like many young players, Carroll was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

While not playing, he enrolled in a full load of classes at Arizona State University.

Carroll tore a labrum in 2021, which effectively ended his season.

However, he found something to keep himself busy while he recovered.

The course that the young speedster enrolled in while he recovered from his torn labrum was Philosophy of Happiness, otherwise referred to as PHI 326.

As Passan notes in his article, Carroll was engaged right from the start and the class provided a distraction for him when his season ended after just seven games.

 The course explored how society defines happiness in people while also challenging students taking the course to find what makes them truly happy.

Carroll’s eyes were opened, and he was completely awestruck by the class and what it ultimately had to offer.

The young speedster says that he learned a lot about how it’s important to recognize happiness and to not get too caught up in certain emotions.  (April 19, 2023 - By Curt Bishop)

TRANSACTIONS

Carroll has impressive baseball skills and plays with a lot of energy. He is a lefthanded bat with a polished 60 grade hit tool and above-average 60 grade pop. He has excellent strike-zone discipline.   

Corbin has a powerful swing, excellent bat-to-ball skills and a discerning eye, a combination of traits often found in baseball's premier hitters. Though small in size, Carroll gets the most out of his elite, quick-twitch athletic ability at the plate. He loads into his back side before driving forward, efficiently transferring energy from his core and into his swing. His tendency to offer at the right pitches and square them up leads to a heavy dose of exit velocities at 100 mph and higher. He uses the whole field well, including going the other way with power; his first two career homers in the majors were hit to center and left field. (Nick Piecoro - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

Carroll has all the qualities scouts look for when projecting a player as a plus hitter. He has an advanced approach and controls the zone well, showing the ability to make adjustments and excellent swing decisions at a young age.

Carroll makes consistent hard contact and drives the ball to all fields from the left side of the plate. The strength Carroll has added since signing has already helped him unlock more power. He may always have more of a hit-over-power profile, but there’s enough pop in Carroll’s left-handed bat to project him for double-digit home runs in the big leagues. (Spring 2022)

Corbin projects to fit at or near the top of a major league lineup. He has a fluid lefthanded swing, an all-fields approach and a propensity for finding the barrel, all of which helps him project to be a plus hitter. He produces impressive slugging numbers despite his 5-foot-10, 165-pound stature by shooting balls into the gaps and down the lines for extra bases.

He has a sort of effortless swing in which he simplifies his movements to generate high exit velocities with ease. He is able to add loft while avoiding too steep of an angle in his swing, resulting in consistent hard contact in the air without a corresponding increase in swings and misses at a level rarely seen for a player his age. (Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2022)

Beyond his physical skills, Carroll has a mature approach and an advanced feel for the game. He makes quick adjustments at the plate.

Carroll has all the qualities scouts look for when projecting a player as a plus hitter. He has an advanced approach and controls the zone well, showing the ability to make adjustments and excellent swing decisions at a young age. Carroll makes consistent hard contact and drives the ball to all fields from the left side of the plate. The strength Carroll has added since signing has already helped him unlock more power, and some D-backs club officials felt that he showed as much raw power as any player at the team’s alternate site.

He may always have more of a hit-over-power profile, but there’s enough pop in Carroll’s left-handed bat to project him for double-digit home runs in the big leagues. (Spring 2021)

Corbin has a fluid lefthanded swing he uses to spray hard line drives to all fields. His approach is mature beyond his years with an innate understanding of the strike zone, an ability to recognize spin and a knack for swinging at pitches on which he can do damage. Carroll is quick to make adjustments and showed during his time at the alternate training site that pitchers couldn’t get him out the same way twice.

Carroll gets out of the box quickly, which allows him to beat out his share of infield hits. Carroll’s raw power is impressive and he can drive balls with authority in games, but evaluators caution he might be more of a 10-15 home run-type whose speed will help inflate his slugging percentages early in his career before he grows into more power as he matures. (Nick Piecoro - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2021)

Carroll's approach and pure hitting ability stood out among his high school peers. A potential plus hitter, he already controls the zone well and can spray the ball to all fields from the left side of the plate. Carroll's game power may never be more than below average, but he does have the ability to drive the ball with line-drive loft and shows flashes of developing some usable pop to his pull-side.

Plus-plus speed is Carroll's loudest tool. It makes him a threat to steal when he's on base as well as a rangy, plus defender in center field, where he's expected to stay long term. (Spring 2020)

Corbin has average, 45 grade power. And he has an above-average 60 grade hit tool.

He is the whole package, according to his 2019 hitting coach with the AZL-D'Backs, Darrin Garner.

"He has some really serious tools,” Garner said. "He can run, he can throw, he has some power in his bat at a young age and it’s only going to get better.”

Carroll is more of a spray hitter, making hard contact with a stroke geared for line drives to all fields. More power should come with experience and physical maturity. (Spring 2020)

Corbin is a selective, patient hitter at the plate. He has a quick, balanced swing and a terrific feel for the barrel, as well as a keen understanding of the strike zone and a patient approach in the lefthanded batter’s box.

Carroll is more than willing to take a walk and then cause havoc on the bases, upsetting the opposition.

It's tough to find a player with a better feel for the strike zone or a more patient approach than Corbin. He rarely swings at a pitch out of the strike zone.

2021 Season:  Corbin Carroll, OF, Diamondbacks (No. 20)

Carroll missed most of 2021 with a shoulder injury but remains an advanced hitter with burgeoning power, plus-plus speed and fine instincts in center field.

July 5, 2022: Corbin made a big leap on the updated Top 100 Prospects list, going from No. 12 overall to No. 3. The 21-year-old outfielder has been raking in the Texas League, racking up 16 homers and 20 stolen bases through 58 games for the Amarillo Sod Poodles.

2022 D-backs Prospect of the Year - Corbin Carroll, OF (No. 1, MLB No. 3):

The 22-year-old outfielder may have missed almost all of 2021 with an injured shoulder, but he certainly didn’t show it in 2022. Carroll slashed .307/.425/.610 with 24 homers and 31 steals over 93 games in the Minors. His 1.036 OPS at those spots was second-best among Minor Leaguers with at least 400 plate appearances, earning him a spot in The Show where he wasn’t too shabby either. (Callis, Dykstra & Mayo - MLB.com - Oct 6, 2022)

Corbin is a plus, 60 grade defender in center field and can shift to both corners without issue. His fringe-average, 45 grade arm strength is the only part of his game that leaves something to be desired. Carroll’s excellent makeup and determined work ethic create optimism he will make the most of his abilities and reach his full potential. 

His speed also gives him plenty of range defensively, where he’s an easy plus defender in center field. Carroll’s across-the-board tools and overall maturity could help him reach the Majors faster than the typical prep pick. Developing more power could heighten a presently lofty ceiling, as he already shows the hitting ability, speed and defensive prowess needed to become a big league regular. 

Carroll is sound fundamentally in the outfield and on the bases. He covers wide swaths of ground with his plus-plus speed and projects to be plus defensive center fielder. If he ends up in a corner, he would profile better in left field, where his fringe-average arm would best fit.

Carroll’s plus-plus speed is a game-changing tool. He’s a threat to steal whenever he gets on base and has range for days as an easy plus defender in center field. There is no doubt that he will be able to stay at the position long term. Carroll’s across-the-board tools and overall maturity could help him reach the Majors faster than the typical prep pick.

Developing more power could thrust Carroll into the conversation as one of baseball’s best prospects; he already shows the type of hitting ability, speed and defensive prowess needed to become a big league regular. (Spring 2021) 

Carroll is a speedy center fielder, covering an exceptional amount of turf. He displays impressive instincts on defense. Carroll has a similar profile to that of 2018 second-round pick Alek Thomas, albeit with more speed. It could help him move through the Minors more quickly than the average prep, though the D-backs are expected to exercise patience with Carroll's development. Carroll's bat, speed and defensive chops at a premium position give him a high floor as a big league regular.

Carroll has a below-average arm, but with good carry and accuracy. It rates a near-average 45 grade on the 20-80 scout scale.

Carroll’s speed plays in the outfield as well, where he is one of the best defensive center fielders in the class.

Scouting directors voted Carroll as best prep defender in the 2019 draft class during the preseason thanks to excellent jumps and efficient route running. Some teams question his arm strength, and it was previously fringe-average, though reports on his throwing in 2019 have continued to improve as he’s gotten stronger.

2022 D-backs Best Defensive Prospect - Corbin Carroll, OF (No. 2, MLB No. 20)

Arizona could someday build a defensive outfield around Alek Thomas, Dominic Fletcher and Carroll that would frighten anyone who would dare hit a ball to the grass. Any of the three could be mentioned here, so we’ll stick with Carroll (an All-Defense Second Teamer) for now.

Before his season-ending shoulder surgery, he showed plus-plus speed that made him a no-doubt center fielder. That projection remains, and Carroll’s defensive brilliance should be another thing to watch when he does return healthy this year. (Mayo, Callis, Dykstra - MLB.com - Feb 24, 2022)

Corbin always upsets the opposition with his top-of-the-lie 80 grade speed and advanced feel for running the bases. His top sprint speed during his brief time in the majors was the second-fastest ever recorded in the eight-year history of Statcast data. He is aggressive on the bases with excellent instincts.  

Carroll certainly disrupts the opposition when he's on base with his 80 grade speed.

In his first two seasons, Carroll swiped 21 bags and was caught just twice over 49 games. (Spring 2022)

May 21-end of 2021 season: Carroll sustained a shoulder injury while hitting a home run for High-A Hillsboro on May 10. It happened on the follow-through of his swing,

Corbin sustained a posterior capsular avulsion and a labrum tear in his right, non-throwing shoulder. It required surgery, which was performed by team doctor Gary Waslewski.

Feb 2022: Carroll was cleared for full baseball activity at minicamp.