Witnessing Corbin Carroll’s superstar turn: ‘The national viewership deserves to see a player like him’
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
The Arizona Diamondbacks were hosting the Kansas City Royals in May 2022, and D-backs ace Zac Gallen couldn’t help himself. He had watched a 21-year-old phenom make his presence felt over the field against his team for two straight days and wondered what it would be like to have a talent like that on his side.
“I saw Bobby Witt Jr. play and I joked with our front office, ‘Hey where’s our guy that’s young, comes up and plays like that?'” Gallen recalled. “They immediately said, ‘Just wait, he’s on his way.'”
Four months later, Corbin Carroll arrived in Arizona — and he hasn’t stopped proving his front office right since. Now, under the bright lights of the MLB postseason, the rest of the baseball world is about to see what Gallen and his D-backs teammates have seen for just over a year now.
Carroll was called up to the big leagues for the final month, getting his first taste of the majors and giving Arizona a look at what was to come when he slugged .500 with an .830 OPS in 32 games.
This season Carroll took his game to new heights. After signing an eight-year, $111 million deal during spring training, he blew past Witt’s rookie numbers and became the first player in major league history to amass at least 25 home runs, 10 triples and 50 stolen bases in a single season. Add 30 doubles and stellar outfield play to his résumé, and Carroll is the runaway favorite for National League Rookie of the Year. He has risen to the occasion early in his first postseason as well, putting up an otherworldly 1.655 OPS.
As Carroll makes his October introduction to a national audience with every hard-hit ball, dash around the bases and incredible play in the field, we asked five of his teammates to describe what it’s like to witness the emergence of MLB’s next superstar outfielder on a daily basis.
The work ethic
The first thing Carroll’s teammates pointed to was an approach to the game that far exceeds his age. The D-backs outfielder is often the first to show up and last to leave, but this goes even further: Carroll has already mastered the mental side in a way that impresses even a 16-year MLB veteran he’s sharing the clubhouse with this season.
Evan Longoria: “He’s so regimented. Everything he does, every day. He has a plan. He prepares the right way. I think of myself at that age, I had none of that. He’s had that from the time I met him. That’s part of what makes him so successful. Sticking to that routine. That’s not easy when you’re young in this game.”
Gallen: “In 2021, we were losing 110 games and he was coming to the field, watching our games. He’s learning the game while we’re losing like that. He’s so committed. Stomaching that season with us and taking what he learned into his career.”
Longoria: “Watching him develop, he overcame any adversity very quickly. He was getting breaking ball after breaking ball and then went into the cage and worked on hitting those and the slump was short lived.
The tools
Carroll was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft and rose to the No. 2 spot on ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel’s 2023 preseason prospect rankings, but in large part because of his unassuming frame — Carroll stands just 5-foot-10, 165 pounds — his dynamic skill set on the diamond still has a tendency to sneak up on you. The advice from his teammates as you take in the speedy outfielder for the first time this October? Don’t be surprised by anything he can do — in any aspect of the game.
Tommy Pham: “He’s a great player. He has every tool. I guess he could improve his arm strength? He covers so much ground. He can hit. He hits line drives everywhere. And the speed is so elite. He turns singles into doubles and doubles into triples. He’s the best baserunner in the game right now.”
Christian Walker: “Watching him play is so exciting. He’s never too far down and he never gets too high on himself. He’s just always in it. He’s so intentful in every moment. You can tell that by talking to the guy. He’s so smart and super talented. That’s a great combination. He’s the total package.”
Longoria: “When I first signed, I went over to Salt River [Arizona’s spring training facility in Scottsdale] to hit in mid-January, and he was there. The pop was electric. I knew he could run.”
The leadership
Carroll has played a grand total of 187 regular-season games and already been anointed the face of his franchise, rewarded with a nine-figure contract and put in the spotlight as the breakout star for a pop-up National League contender. That kind of adoration so quickly could go straight to a player’s head, right? Not in this case, as Carroll prefers to let his game do the talking. Well, on the baseball field, at least.
Alek Thomas: “We grew up in the system together. To see him have this year he’s having is unbelievable. He goes out there, younger than me, and acts like he’s been around for 5-6 years. He leads by example.”
Pham: “He was raised by a good family. You can obviously see that … He’s a little shy but I’ll try to joke with him in the outfield when there’s a pitching change. I’ll say things like, ‘Hey Corbin, I think that girl really likes you in the outfield stands.’ Then I’ll tell him, ‘When I was your age I was a little faster than you.’ I tell him stuff like that, [trying] to get a smile out of him.”
Thomas: “We play video games. That’s the one thing I’m better than him at. He gets so mad whenever I beat him. We go at it in Fortnite.”
The big stage
The Diamondbacks started the playoffs by first rolling into Milwaukee for a wild-card sweep of the Brewers that included two comeback victories, earning the team the nickname of “The Answerbacks,” and then handing Clayton Kershaw the worst start of his entire career in their National League Division Series-opening win. Carroll has been at the center of it all, posting an incredible .500/.571/1.083 slash line while providing his first signature October moment — and leaving his teammates wondering where this postseason ride will go next.
Thomas: “You want a moment? How about hitting that changeup 450 feet in [NL wild card] Game 1? That was a defining moment for the series because we were down.”
Longoria: “The national viewership deserves to see a player like him in big moments like this.”
For teams that aren’t playing in their conference championship games, this is it — the final chance to make a lasting impression on the College Football Playoff selection committee.
For some contenders, like Ole Miss, their regular-season résumé is now complete, and what happens in the fifth ranking on Tuesday night should be a strong indicator of their final placement on Selection Day. Others, like Miami, are banking on hope and help — and most importantly, one more win. It all began with the Egg Bowl on Friday — a game that not only kept Ole Miss in the playoff, but also technically in the SEC race.
That’s right — this thing is far from over, so check back after each game to see how the results will impact the playoff as the day unfolds.
Texas 27, Texas A&M 17
Rivalry Week presented its first shakeup of the top four when No. 16 Texas beat No. 3 Texas A&M — but it might not be all that jarring in the fifth ranking. The Aggies will likely drop to the 4-6 range behind Georgia. The Bulldogs have better wins including a 35-10 drubbing of … Texas. Georgia also has a better loss (to No. 10 Alabama), and has now clinched a spot in the SEC title game. The question is just how far Texas A&M will fall now that it has joined No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 6 Oregon and No. 7 Ole Miss in the one-loss club. The Aggies entered the weekend with a noticeable edge over Texas Tech in both strength of record (23 to 56) and strength of schedule (1 to 10). It’s possible the committee only drops the Aggies one spot, flipping them with Georgia, which means they’d still be in position to earn a first-round bye as the No. 4 seed. There would be a strong debate, though, about whether the Aggies, Texas Tech or Oregon, the latter which has impressed the committee lately by ranking in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, deserves the highest seeding. The Aggies’ problem now is that they’d have to finish in the top four as an at-large team because they just got knocked out of the SEC title game.
While Texas now has arguably the best win in the country, it probably won’t be enough to catapult it into the top-10 as a three-loss team. Even with some upsets above them, it’s unlikely Texas would get higher than No. 12.
Indiana 56, Purdue 3
Indiana clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship game with its win against rival Purdue, locking in a CFP bid and beefing up its chances at keeping a first-round bye on Selection Day. The Hoosiers, who have been the committee’s No. 2 team in each of the first four rankings, still have a chance of grabbing the No. 1 spot in Tuesday’s ranking if Ohio State loses to Michigan. If the Buckeyes lose and Oregon wins Indiana will face Oregon in the Big Ten title game. If Michigan wins and Oregon loses the Hoosiers will face Michigan for the conference title.
The question is whether IU can maintain a top-four seed and a first-round bye as the Big Ten runner-up. If Indiana lost the title game, the committee would consider where their opponent was ranked and how close the game was. The Hoosiers would also be compared with other top one-loss teams, but playing a ranked opponent in the conference championship game — win or lose — would boost IU’s record strength by the committee’s metric.
Georgia 16, Georgia Tech 9
Georgia should keep its place as the committee’s top one-loss team following its win against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia’s Oct. 18 win against Ole Miss, along with their win at Tennessee and drubbing of Texas, impressed the committee. The Bulldogs’ consistency on offense and defense has also played well with the committee. Georgia’s first-round bye would only be in question at this point if it finishes as a two-loss SEC runner-up.
Barring an unusual combination of ACC results, No. 23 Georgia Tech will be out of the playoff at 9-3. The only way the Yellow Jackets can extend their playoff hope is through the ACC championship game. They entered the weekend with a 1.5% chance of making the game, according to ESPN Analytics.
Ole Miss 38, Mississippi State 19
With its win against rival Mississippi State on Friday, Ole Miss likely locked up a playoff spot and remains in a strong position to host a first-round home game. If Alabama loses to Auburn on Saturday, Ole Miss will clinch a spot in the SEC championship game. Even if it doesn’t, though, the one-loss Rebels should still be a CFP lock.
As for the uncertainty still looming around coach Lane Kiffin, if Ole Miss turns to an interim head coach for the playoff, the selection committee could consider that. CFP protocol states the group will consider “other relevant factors such as unavailability of key players and coaches that may have affected a team’s performance during the season or likely will affect its postseason performance.” Ole Miss won’t miss the playoff because Kiffin left for another job, but it could get dinged a spot or two if the committee thinks the team won’t be the same without him.
Utah 31, Kansas 21
No. 13 Utah punctuated its résumé with a win against 5-7 Kansas, but it’s still unlikely to reach the playoff without multiple upsets of teams above it — especially after just being leapfrogged by No. 12 Miami in the latest CFP ranking. Even with a win, to reach the Big 12 championship game, Utah still needs Texas Tech to lose and for both BYU and Arizona State to win. The Utes’ best hope to reach the CFP is still as an at-large team.
Getting that bid isn’t inconceivable if a combination of two-loss teams above them lose. If Oklahoma, Alabama and Miami lose, it would be difficult for any of them to stay in the top 12 as three-loss teams. Utah would need at least two of them to lose to move into the top 10, which is where it would need to be to actually be seeded in the field. The No. 11 and No. 12 teams this year will be excluded during the seeding process to make room for the fourth- and fifth-highest ranked conference champions.
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Mark Schlabach
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Lane Kiffin said he’ll decide Saturday whether he will return as Ole Miss‘ coach in 2026 or take another job, presumably at LSU, which is trying to poach him from its SEC rival with a lucrative contract offer that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.
Kiffin, while speaking to reporters after the No. 7 Rebels’ 38-19 victory at Mississippi State in Friday’s Egg Bowl at Davis Wade Stadium, would only say that he’ll have to make a decision one way or the other, after Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce said they needed an answer by Saturday.
“I feel like I’ve got to,” Kiffin said.
When Kiffin was asked if he had made up his mind about where he’ll be coaching next season, he said, “Yeah, I haven’t. Maybe that surprises you. But, you know, I’ve got to do some praying and figure this thing out.”
Kiffin said he planned to attend his son’s high school playoff game in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Friday night. Knox Kiffin is Oxford High’s starting quarterback.
“Tonight, I’m going to go be a dad and watch a more important game to me,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin wasn’t sure what time he would make a decision Saturday.
“There’s a lot [that goes] into it,” Kiffin said. “It’s a hard decision. You guys have them all the time. You’ve got to make decisions about jobs you take and where you move, and we get paid a lot so I understand we’re under a lot of spotlight and scrutiny.”
Kiffin said he regretted not being able to speak to his father, Monte Kiffin, while trying to make one of the most important decisions of his career. The longtime NFL defensive coordinator died in July 2024. He was 84.
Kiffin, 50, has sought the advice of former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, his former boss at USC, the past few weeks.
ESPN reported earlier Friday that Florida, which was also courting Kiffin, is now focused on other candidates in its search because the Gators believe he’s more interested in other opportunities.
Carter and Boyce met with Kiffin a week ago in Oxford, Mississippi, and the sides came to an understanding that Kiffin would make up his mind the day after the Egg Bowl.
If the Egg Bowl was Kiffin’s last game as Ole Miss’ coach, it was a fitting end to one of the most successful tenures in school history.
As speculation about Kiffin’s future continued to swirl over the past two weeks, the Rebels rolled past their rivals for their fifth win in the past six meetings in the heated series. The Rebels had 545 yards of offense, as quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 359 yards with four touchdowns.
The Rebels (11-1, 7-1 SEC) all but secured a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. They’ll have to wait another day to find out whether they’ll play in next week’s SEC championship game in Atlanta.
No. 3 Texas A&M would have to fall at No. 16 Texas on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) and No. 10 Alabama would have to lose at Auburn in Saturday’s Iron Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET/ABC) for the Rebels to clinch a spot in the SEC championship game.
And, of course, Ole Miss fans will be waiting Saturday to find out which coaches will be on the sideline for the CFP, which might begin with a first-round game at home on Dec. 19 or 20.
If Kiffin decides to leave for LSU, former New York Giants coach Joe Judge would likely serve as the Rebels’ interim coach in the CFP, sources told ESPN.
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