PHOENIX -- Plenty was made about the Dodgers superstars who struggled in the National League Division Series.

Not enough about the D-backs superstar who assuredly did not.

That would be Corbin Carroll. And if you take issue with the moniker of ¡°superstar¡± being applied to Arizona¡¯s 23-year-old catalyst, well, consider all that Carroll has accomplished since his arrival in the big leagues in August 2022.

He¡¯s almost certainly headed for an NL Rookie of the Year Award. In his first full season, he slashed .285/.362/.506 with 25 homers and 54 steals -- the first rookie to post a 25-50 season in the sport¡¯s history.

Along the way, Carroll started an All-Star Game in his hometown of Seattle, then led the D-backs to their first postseason appearance in six years. Now that he¡¯s playing on the sport¡¯s biggest stage, Carroll has owned it. Through five playoff games, he¡¯s homered twice and he¡¯s reached base 13 times, tied for the most by a rookie in his first five postseason games with Ichiro Suzuki in 2001 and Texas¡¯ Evan Carter, who also did it this year.

Prior to the D-backs¡¯ workout on Tuesday at Chase Field, Carroll was asked why his acclimation to postseason baseball had gone so smoothly. He seemed perplexed at the notion that it ever wouldn¡¯t have.

¡°I'm grateful for it,¡± Carroll said. ¡°But I guess my answer is: This is where I want to be. This is what I've worked for. This is what this team has worked for. ¡­ Winning in the postseason, what's cooler than that?¡±

• How Carroll became October's brightest young star

To date, that¡¯s all Carroll¡¯s D-backs have done. They swept the Brewers in the NL Wild Card Series, then swept the mighty Dodgers in the NLDS.

It¡¯s been a complete team effort. The D-backs have ridden their front-line starting pitching, their resurgent bullpen and performances from role players throughout their lineup. But more than anyone else, Carroll has set the tone.

¡°We try not to say that there's one target on our roster,¡± said manager Torey Lovullo. ¡°We believe in being nine strong. But Corbin has an unbelievable knack for rising to the occasion. ¡­ I look at him often, and I cannot believe he's 23 years old. I look at him often, and I'm thankful that he's going to be a Diamondback for the next 10 years.¡±

• D-backs vs. Phillies NLCS Game 1 FAQ

In March, the D-backs and Carroll agreed to an eight-year extension with a team option for a ninth that could take the deal to $134 million. It was a hefty sum for a then-22-year-old with 104 career at-bats, but that deal already looks like a bargain.

After a brilliant regular season worthy of down-ballot MVP votes, Carroll has elevated his game in October. He owns a 1.389 OPS through five games, with a pair of statement home runs on the road -- one in each series opener.

¡°He has an inward confidence that he was born with,¡± Lovullo said. ¡°I think he feels that his preparation and the intensity of his preparation has prepared him for this moment.¡±

Accurate, Carroll says.

¡°For me, it starts before the game,¡± he said. ¡°I have an all-encompassing approach where I like to make sure that I'm taking care of all the stuff I need to take care of away from the field, whether it's sleep, nutrition, all those things.

• Kelly to pitch where he paid to watch Phils

¡°If I can check those boxes and say I'm doing those to the best of my ability, then I just feel like I have the freedom to go out there and play freely without any kind of second-guessing or doubt.¡±

In Lovullo¡¯s eyes, that blend of focus and talent is rare. But it¡¯s not unprecedented.

¡°He does remind me a lot of some young players -- one of which plays for the L.A. Dodgers,¡± Lovullo said, invoking his time with the Red Sox working with Mookie Betts. ¡°Because they confronted their limitations head on, so when they stepped into the most critical point of a game or the season, they knew that it was no longer a limitation.¡±

Is there a loftier comparison for a young outfielder than Betts? He¡¯s a two-time World Series winner, an MVP and undeniably one of the best players in the sport. As Lovullo alluded to, Betts¡¯ profile also came with perceived limitations, notably his size. He¡¯s listed at 5-foot-9, Carroll at 5-foot-10. Both silenced any doubters with their play almost instantaneously.

¡°The moment clearly isn't getting too big for him,¡± said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. ¡°And he knows how to conduct at-bats.¡±

When the NL Championship Series begins Monday night, it'll likely be Carroll, ever the tone-setter, who steps into the box first. The rest of the baseball world is finally beginning to take note of his remarkable skill set. The D-backs have seen it all season long.

¡°My jaw was on the ground with what he was doing every single day,¡± Lovullo said. ¡°The intensity and focus that he had, the amount of home runs that he was hitting, the bases he was stealing and the plays he was making -- I just would shake my head in the dugout.

"I'm like, ¡®I don't know how he's doing it. But I've got a front-row seat to it. And I'm going to enjoy this ride.¡¯¡±