Carroll homers in 1st 2 ABs, locks down 2nd straight 20-20 season
Manny Randhawa
@MannyOnMLBDENVER -- The D-backs were in dire need of an offensive spark as they played in their series finale against the Rockies at Coors Field on Wednesday.
Corbin Carroll obliged.
On the heels of back-to-back losses to Colorado, in which Arizona managed only two runs in each game, Carroll blasted a 438-foot home run off the second deck in right-center field in the first inning to get the D-backs¡¯ bats jump-started in the 9-4 win.
The homer was Carroll's 20th of the season, making him the fifth player in D-backs history to have multiple 20-homer, 20-steal seasons, joining Chris Young (2007, '10 and '11), Paul Goldschmidt ('15, '16), Justin Upton ('09, '11) and Eric Byrnes ('06, '07).
¡°Given the way this year started out, I think if you had asked me in the middle of the season if this was possible, it definitely wasn¡¯t on my mind,¡± Carroll said. ¡°So, to kind of find myself here at the end of the year, I think it¡¯s just kind of a testament to just stacking the days and continuing to work and having a great group of people around me.¡±
Carroll also became the 11th player in AL/NL history with multiple 20-20 seasons by his age-23 season, joining the Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. and the Mariners' Julio Rodr¨ªguez, who were both the last to do so from 2022-23. Carroll has stolen 29 bases this year, after launching 25 homers and swiping 54 bags in his 2023 National League Rookie of the Year campaign.
But Carroll wasn¡¯t done. In the second inning, he drilled a laser over the wall in right field for his second homer of the day. It was his third multi-homer effort of the season.
Following his big rookie season, Carroll got off to a slow start at the plate this year. But he¡¯s been more like himself in the second half. The speedy outfielder is slashing .274/.362/.617 with 16 homers after he posted a .635 OPS with five homers prior to the All-Star break.
Carroll is on the verge of making more franchise history. If he triples again this season, it will set the single-season franchise record with 15. As it stands, Carroll is tied with Tony Womack, who tripled 14 times in 2000.
¡°He is a remarkable young man,¡± manager Torey Lovullo said. ¡°I am so proud of the way he just stayed with his general game plan. ¡ It¡¯s a tremendous accomplishment. ¡ I know that there¡¯s a lot more he wants to accomplish.¡±