Young Corbin Carroll Leading by Example for the Diamondbacks

Having the face of the franchise label thrust upon him at a young age, Carroll embodies the team culture and is proving to be the right man for the job.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll signs autographs before playing the Athletics during a spring training game at Hohokam Stadium on March 12, 2025, in Mesa. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona Diamondbacks star right fielder Corbin Carroll is having a strong spring training. In 41 plate appearances he's batting .378 and swatted four homers, and stolen a couple of bases. In one recent game against the Rockies he scored the lone run in a 1-0 victory by racing all the way around to score from first base on a popup single.

There is no question that Carroll has the ability to be the engine that drives the Diamondbacks offense. He followed up a solid 32-game call-up in 2022 by hitting .285 with 25 homers and 54 stolen bases, winning the NL Rookie of the Year in 2023 and making the All-Star team.

He recovered from a tough start in the first half of 2024 to have a terrific second half, hitting 20 homers, stealing 21 bases, and posting a .901 OPS over his final 75 games.

Beyond the on-field exploits however, looking closely at the person behind the statistics reveals a work ethic and level of dedication not only to his own success, but for those around hm, that is mature beyond his years.

Carroll never stops working tirelessly to improve. He spent virtually every day at Salt River Fields during the offseason working out and getting himself ready for the season. When asked at the beginning of spring training if it were true that he spent the Christmas Eve morning at the complex working out, his response was classic Carroll.

"If it was a Monday through Saturday, then probably," to much laughter around the room.

When the Diamondbacks drafted Carroll out of high school back in 2019, they knew they were not only getting a terrific ballplayer. Part of the job of a scout and evaluators is to assess a player's character and work ethic, and how they might fit into an organization.

Carroll has always scored off the charts in those types of evaluations. As he has gained service time and experience, the impact of those traits on those around him is beginning to shine through as well. Manager Torey Lovullo alluded to this when discussing the impact by players they've developed internally on players that later join the organization.

"When they step into our scene here, they fit in, and they welcome those from the outside. Once that group of players like Corbin Carroll and Jake [McCarthy] and Alek {Thomas] get to be that five, six-year veteran, that to me is when it gets even more powerful."

Still just 24 years old, Carroll is now entering his fourth year in the league, and the dynamics that Lovullo is referring to have already begun to emerge.

Union Rep

Starting at the beginning of 2024, the young superstar was chosen in a secret ballot by the other members of the team as the Club Player Representative to the MLB Players association. While it may seem unusual for such a young player to be chosen from among his peers, listening to him explain his approach to the role makes it's obvious they picked the right person.

"I think my rationale around it was I didn't necessarily want my own voice thrown in the mix, but I wanted to make sure that everyone else's in this clubhouse was, and I felt like I could do a good job of doing that.

"I think that part of what I've done is just find middle ground, be a middle man between our advisors with the PA and then our clubhouse and just try to carry some messages back and forth."

The fact that Carroll is so young, and is signed to a long term contract through at least the 2030 season means stability in the role.

"Knowing that I would be around kind of long-term, I think there was some thought around, hey, getting some experience now, being able to kind of see through this next CBA, I've enjoyed it."

Leadership by Example

Asked about his leadership style, Carroll responded with a laugh and said, "Yeah, it's definitely not vocal." That sentiment is echoed throughout the clubhouse, no matter who you ask.

For example, veteran Randal Grichuk said, "He's a leader just by his play, his work ethic. He's not a vocal leader, it's more lead by example. He goes about his business the right way, he plays the game hard. It's hard to be a vocal leader if you don't do those kind of things."

According to Jake McCarthy the best example of Carroll's leadership came during the first half of the season when the second year player struggled for most of the first three-plus months of the year.

As late as July 6 Carroll was still batting just .210 with a .608 OPS. It was a shocking and lengthy 87-game slump. The grind was almost unbearable, but Carroll never stopped working, and never stopped caring for his teammates.

"He was the same guy in here." McCarthy said. "I think that's huge when things aren't going your way, and things are piling up, he was still a guy who was there for his teammates. You learn a lot about a guy's character when you're 0-for a week or you think you're getting sent down, whatever it is."

Personality vs. Youth

From time to time young players will be more vocal as they get older and have more time in the game. But at the same time, personality traits don't tend to change much. "I feel like most of the time you see people as who they are," said Grichuk.

Carroll is a very self-aware person, and acknowledges his own traits and personality, and the need to be mindful of his years of experience.

"I think a combination of both," explained Carroll. "I think I've always been more of someone who wants to do something as opposed to [being verbal]. I think part of it though is just being on the younger side."

Carroll pointed out there are a lot of veterans on the team and he's still the youngest position player on the Diamondbacks. This was true in 2024, and is likely to be the case in 2025, at least until Jordan Lawlar is called up.

"It's something where I feel like the way that I've always operated is pretty quiet, but I like listening and noticing."

Lovullo has noticed that Carroll is more than capable of speaking up when it's need most, and when he does, people listen.

"He's very private, very quiet, but you get him into his own space, he says what needs to be said, and when he does say something, you put down your pen, in my case, or I'm sure his teammates put down the glove and the bat, and you pay attention to it.

"One day he might be a little more vocal, but I'm not going to force that on him. I think he's just innately a quiet person, and I have no problem with that," Lovullo said.

Leading is Giving

For Carroll, the meaning of leadership ultimately comes down to helping other people. That shows through in his approach to being the union rep, but is especially evident in his desire to help other young players coming up. He said sharing the lessons he's learned, or just being a friend to help ease the process of learning what they have to do to be major leaguers is what he's focused on.

"My goal is [helping] some of these younger players come up. I've been in their shoes somewhat recently. I just feel like that transition is not an easy one to make, and I feel like that's where I can more find my voice."

Of course a player like this is a manager's dream, as Lovullo explained. "The example he sets every single day is as good as I've seen. There's so much discipline. There's a process and a strategy to everything that he does from going from point A to point B in his day. There's a plan, and I really respect that."

The always-effervescent Blaze Alexander was excited to talk about what he's learned from Carroll's example.

"From the first day I met that dude he's just set the example," Alexander said. "I wouldn't say he's a vocal leader, but just with his actions. You see him do the right things, he's in the weight room getting treatment, taking care of his body, eating right. He's one of the first guys in here, getting his work in and one of the last guys to leave. As a player you look at that, and think I want to be more like that guy."

But for Alexander it goes well beyond that. He too had his struggles as a rookie last year, despite a hot start at the plate. Some defensive miscues that might have cost a game or two weighed heavily on Alexander, and ultimately cost him playing time. But Carroll was there for him setting the example, even while going through his own struggles.

"In terms of being a friend, Corbin's an unbelievable human being. Anything you need, he has your back really. You look at Corbin, the work ethic, the person he is, even just how he treats the staff here, he's a top-notch human being," Alexander said.

Face of the Franchise

For all of the reasons elicited by his teammates, his manager, and the player himself, it's obvious the Diamondbacks have a player that is the embodiment of the organizational culture that GM Mike Hazen and Lovullo have striven to create. Perhaps it was summed up best by veteran hurler Zac Gallen.

"I don't want to say he was thrust into the role of being a leader, but you come up, win Rookie of the Year, the team offers you a contract extension, you do a lot of successful things, I think guys look to you to be in that role, on top of him being the player association rep. I think the way he's handled it, for however old he is, he's done a great job and I think he's the right guy to be the face of the franchise," Gallen said.