Corbin Carroll's Top Competition for NL Rookie of the Year

Five rookies who could give Carroll some tough competition for the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year race.

Diamondbacks top prospect Corbin Carroll was listed as the favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year. However it won't be an easy feat for the No. 2 overall prospect in the game, as the National League will have plenty of capable candidates that could win the award.

These are some of the leading candidates that could challenge Carroll for Rookie of the Year, ranked by the highest odds to win the award according to Vegas Insider:

Cardinals OF Jordan Walker

Walker is built like an NFL tight end, listed at 6'5" and 220 pounds, and carries an impressive stick. The most notable tool in his impressive tool belt is his 70-grade raw power, already achieving exit velocities of 112-113 MPH at the age of 20. He also complements that with a very impressive batting eye, as evidenced by a 21.6% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate in Double-A last season. 

Walker had a strong spring to force the Cardinals hand and place him on the active roster. While he came up as a third baseman, he'll likely spend most of his career in the outfield after Nolan Arenado was signed to an extension in the off-season. Based on what I've seen from him in the Fall League, he has the athleticism to handle the transition to the outfield and be a good defender there. His best spot in the outfield will be in right field, where his 70-grade arm will yield the most value.

Dodgers 2B Miguel Vargas

The D-backs will be seeing Vargas for a long time in a Dodger uniform. Los Angeles moved Vargas to second in order to get his bat into the lineup. He put up some solid numbers with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, hitting .304/.404/.511 with 17 home runs and nearly as many walks as strikeouts. 

Mets RHP Kodai Senga

One of the most sought after free agents last winter, Senga signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the New York Mets. He's not your typical Rookie of the Year candidate, as a 30-year-old coming from Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. Senga is most noted for his "Ghost Fork" pitch, although he can hit upper-90s with a 4-seam fastball. Of all the candidates, Senga may have the highest floor of a surefire middle of the rotation starter but also the lowest ceiling given he's already in his physical prime. 

Rockies SS Ezequiel Tovar

The Rockies are sort of going through a youth movement, with Tovar set to become the everyday shortstop and Zac Veen's potential debut later in the season. He'll have an opportunity for everyday at-bats at the position, but will probably need a down year from the candidates ahead of him to have a shot at the award. 

Brewers OF Garrett Mitchell

Mitchell is a former first rounder who looked very good in his first taste of the big leagues last season. Like Carroll, he is another potential five-tool impact player in center field and will have opportunities to hold down the position for a long time. There's a solid chance he could lose votes to his teammate, Sal Frelick, who Vegas gave higher odds to win the award.