The D-backs are here because their young stars arrived ready to be the present — not just the future
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
PHOENIX — Tonight, under the roof of Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, a scene few predicted months, weeks or even days ago will play out: The Arizona Diamondbacks will host Game 3 of the World Series.
How did Arizona shock the baseball world and get to this point?
It all starts with a young core led by right fielder Corbin Carroll and catcher Gabriel Moreno, a pair of 23-year-old emerging stars who arrived ready to play like seasoned veterans despite their age. The bright lights of October haven’t changed that.
“I think that’s what gets me excited about this team, not only for this year but moving forward,” Game 2 starting pitcher Merrill Kelly said. “You would expect in the years coming that all those guys … they’re already pretty close to elite players. And I think they’re only going to get better. That gives me excitement not only for going into this series, but also moving forward.”
It’s a sentiment felt throughout the organization. Most teams — this side of Baltimore, at least — wouldn’t be playing in October while starting four position players age 24 or younger, but that’s exactly what Arizona did in Game 2 of the World Series. In a 9-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday, Carroll, Moreno, 23-year-old Alek Thomas and 24-year-old Geraldo Perdomo combined for six hits, three RBIs and three runs scored — highlighted by Moreno’s fourth home run of the postseason.
Carroll, Thomas and Perdomo were all originally drafted or signed by the D-backs and climbed the minor league ladder together as part of a highly touted wave of prospects who had fans in Arizona hopeful better days were coming, even as Arizona lost 110 games just two years ago. It was Moreno’s arrival in an offseason trade with the Toronto Blue Jays that proved to be the final piece in turning that hope into what’s playing out now. He has become an elite player in his first full season, combining with Carroll to become the faces of the franchise who continue to outperform their age.
“Gabby is 23, but I feel like he’s 33,” Game 1 starter Zac Gallen said. “Just the way he’s super cool, super calm, collected. The moment doesn’t seem to faze him. And the talent is just off the charts.”
Exhibit A: Instead of being overmatched by his first taste of October, Moreno hit three home runs in his first five playoff games, off a trio of experienced postseason pitchers in Corbin Burnes, Clayton Kershaw and Lance Lynn. Exhibit B: He added another name to the list Saturday night when he broke a scoreless tie with a solo shot off a 3-2 curveball from Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery.
But power at the plate is just one part of his dynamic skills. Behind it, his game calling skills have gotten better and better while he already possesses one of MLB’s strongest arms.
“I joke that when I’m 50 years old, I’ll be watching Gabi Moreno still playing in the big leagues,” Kelly said with a laugh. “He’s that kind of talent.”
Reliever Joe Mantiply perked up when asked to pick the one moment that stands out from Moreno during the postseason.
“The homer against the Dodgers (in Game 3 of the NLDS),” Mantiply said. “He hits the home run foul and the next pitch, to be able to turn on one and hit another homer, that’s something only the best players in the world can do. That takes an unbelievable amount of talent and slow heartbeat to be able to execute in that moment. That’s probably the coolest thing I’ve ever seen on a field, to be honest.”
Moreno had already rounded the bases and was in the dugout when the umpires — after a delay — declared the would-be home run was a foul ball. On the very next pitch, he took Lynn deep — again. The smiles in the dugout were ear-to-ear as he circled the diamond again. It instantly became a signature moment for the young catcher and the D-backs, who hit a record four home runs that inning.
“I love playing,” Moreno said through the team interpreter. “I want to be there for my teammates as much as possible.”
In less than a year, Moreno has gone from playing in another organization to an essential part of Arizona’s future. The trade that brought him to the desert came as the result of a surplus of young outfielders in Arizona’s system and catchers on the Blue Jays’ major league roster. Because both sides were dealing from depth, several iterations of potential swaps were discussed. But as the D-backs did their homework, it became clear that Moreno was the player they wanted — and they were willing to give up Daulton Varsho, who produced 4.8 WAR with 53 extra-base hits (27 home runs) and 74 RBIs in 2022, to get their guy.
“What I heard back was essentially he was their Corbin Carroll,” Diamondbacks special assistant Jason McLeod said of Moreno. “That’s how they felt about him in terms of the person and makeup.”
That was an easy sell for the D-backs, who were well aware of the talent they had in Carroll, the heavy favorite for NL Rookie of the Year honors. His name has been in the No. 1 spot on prospect lists since he was taken with the No. 16 pick of the 2019 draft.
His teammates marvel at his maturity, saying he approaches the game like a grizzled veteran with a game that is more rounded than “most 30 year-olds.” It’s a theme heard often when talking to the veterans in the Diamondbacks clubhouse.
Though less heralded than Caroll and Moreno, Thomas and Perdomo have also impressed with their poise throughout October.
“Maybe it’s all in our DNA where we’re not really phased by it,” said Thomas, who hit a pinch-hit home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the National League Championship Series. “Also, we learned from some negative moments during the season. And now on the big stage, we’re learning how to take a big breath and relax a little bit.”
Asked how the Diamondbacks have cornered the market on mature, young players, general manager Mike Hazen made it clear that it is no accident that their prospects arrive ready to perform in the majors.
“I think our player-development people do a really good job raising our players, quite frankly,” he explained. “We put a lot of effort into developing them all the way through from the second they get here to their families, to understanding who they are and trying to pour every ounce of energy into making them the best they can be.”
That process has paid off with a group making history with every feat as Arizona attempts to close out perhaps the most improbable playoff run ever. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Diamondbacks are the third team in postseason history with a home run from four players 23 or younger. Moreno is also the youngest catcher to hit three home runs in a single postseason, let alone four.
With their young hitters seizing the moment, the D-backs have taken down two division winners and last year’s NL pennant winner. They’ve stolen home-field advantage from the hottest team in the AL. Mantiply — who was in High-A when he was 23 years old — was asked if he ever stops to appreciate what his young teammates are accomplishing this month.
“All the time,” he said. “Pretty much every day. I was fortunate to be around Alek and Corbin at the alternate site in 2020, when they were 18 years old. And the level of talent that they showed at that age was already unbelievable — and maturity. I remember thinking, Corbin specifically, was just on a different level of player that I’ve seen at that age. And the success that they’re all having is no surprise.”
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Adam Rittenberg
Cincinnati freshman football player Jeremiah Kelly, an early enrollee who went through spring practice with the team, died unexpectedly Tuesday morning at his residence.
The school didn’t disclose a cause of death.
Kelly, an 18-year-old offensive lineman from Avon, Ohio, helped his high school team to a 16-0 record and a state championship last fall.
“The Bearcats football family is heartbroken by the sudden loss of this outstanding young man,” Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said in a statement. “In the short time Jeremiah has spent with our team, he has made a real impact, both on the field and in our locker room. My prayers are with the Kelly family and those who had the pleasure of knowing Jeremiah.”
Cincinnati completed its spring practice session last week.
“We’ve suffered a heartbreaking loss today,” Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham said in a statement. “All of us at UC send our love and prayers to the Kelly family and we will do everything that we can to support them and our Bearcats student-athletes in the difficult days and weeks ahead.”
Seven of eight first-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs have begun, and No. 8 gets rolling on Tuesday.
The Battle of Florida between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers begins anew (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), with both clubs looking like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender if they can survive the intrastate showdown.
Cats-Bolts is the third game of four Tuesday on the ESPN family of networks, following New Jersey–Carolina (6 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Ottawa–Toronto (7:30 p.m., ESPN2), and preceding the nightcap, Minnesota–Vegas (11 p.m. ET, ESPN).
What are the key storylines heading into Tuesday’s games? Who are the key players to watch?
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down Monday night, and the Three Stars of Monday Night from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes
Game 2 (CAR leads 1-0) | 6 p.m. ET | ESPN
Game 1 sure did not go as planned for the Devils. A win at the legendarily loud Lenovo Center would’ve been stretching it, but losing Brenden Dillon, Cody Glass and Luke Hughes to injury was not an ideal outcome either.
They’ll hope to rebound Tuesday before the series shifts to Newark. Closing the shot attempt differential might help, as the famously possession-savvy Hurricanes held a 45-24 edge on shots on goal in Game 1.
For years, the knock on Carolina was that it lacked that one goal scorer who could get the Canes over the hump in the playoffs. Many observers thought the Canes had acquired such a player in Mikko Rantanen in January. Ironically, it was the player Carolina acquired in its subsequent trade of Rantanen to Dallas — Logan Stankoven — who scored two goals in Game 1. Will he add to that total in Game 2?
Of note heading into Tuesday’s game, the Devils have come back to win a playoff series after losing the first game 11 out of 26 times (42%); that figure drops to 20% if they fall behind 0-2. The Hurricanes have won six of their past seven series after winning Game 1.
Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs
Game 2 (TOR leads 1-0) | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
The atmosphere was intense for Game 1, and the Maple Leafs’ “Core Four” led the way: Mitch Marner (one goal, two assists), William Nylander (one goal, one assist), John Tavares (one goal, one assist) and Auston Matthews (two assists) each filled up the scoresheet. A continuation of that output will obviously help Toronto overwhelm its provincial neighbor.
Slowing down the Maple Leafs could depend on discipline, according to Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk. “We took too many penalties, they scored on [them] and that’s the game,” Tkachuk told reporters after Game 1. “So that’s on us. We’ve got to be more disciplined.”
The Sens will also need to capitalize on their chances. According to Stathletes, Ottawa had five high-danger scoring chances in this game, and produced only two goals.
Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning
Game 1 | 8:30 p.m ET | ESPN
This is the fourth time that the two Sunshine State franchises have met in the postseason, and all four of the meetings have occurred since 2021.
In each instance, the winner of the series has gone on to reach the Stanley Cup Final — Lightning in 2021 and 2022; Panthers in 2024 — while the 2021 Lightning and 2024 Panthers won it all.
Unsurprisingly, Nikita Kucherov is Tampa Bay’s leading scorer against Florida, with 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 15 games. Aleksander Barkov is the Panthers’ leading scorer against the Lightning, with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 15 games.
The two teams split their meetings in the regular season, with the Lightning winning the most recent, 5-1 on April 15.
Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights
Game 2 (VGK leads 1-0) | 11 p.m. ET | ESPN
The underdog Wild set a physical tone to the series in Game 1, outhitting the Golden Knights 54-29, but the hosts emerged with a 4-2 victory. Tomas Hertl, Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden (two) were the goal scorers for Vegas, and Matt Boldy was responsible for both Minnesota goals.
Howden, who had never scored double-digit goals until his 23 this season, earned praise from coach Bruce Cassidy after Game 1. “He didn’t change his game,” Cassidy told reporters. “He played physical. He’s part of our penalty kill. He’s always out when the goalie’s out, typically one of the six guys we use a lot because of his versatility. He can play wing. He can take draws as a center. He’s been real good for us all year and good again tonight.”
Sunday’s game was the NHL debut for 2024 first-round pick Zeev Buium, who just finished his season with the University of Denver. He played 13 minutes, 37 seconds and finished with one shot on goal.
Arda’s Three Stars of Monday
The greatest goal scorer in NHL history just keeps finding the back of the net. He had two goals, including the overtime winner, as the Caps take Game 1 3-2 despite a valiant third period effort from Montreal to send it to the extra frame.
Connor had the game-winning goal in the third period for the second straight game, as Winnipeg takes both games at home for the 2-0 series lead on the Blues.
Further proof that the Oilers are never out of the game, McDavid helped erase a 4-0 deficit with a goal and three assists, despite the Oilers falling 6-5 late in a thrilling Game 1.
Monday’s scores
Capitals 3, Canadiens 2 (OT)
Washington leads 1-0
Much of the regular season was spent focused on Alex Ovechkin‘s “Gr8 Chase” of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record, and he scored historic goal No. 895 on Sunday, April 6. It turns out, Ovi likes the spotlight. The Capitals superstar opened the scoring in the game, and bookended it with the overtime winner — his first ever, believe it or not — as the Caps survived a thriller in Game 1, following Nick Suzuki‘s tying goal with 4:15 remaining. Full recap.
1:51
Alex Ovechkin’s OT goal wins Game 1 for Capitals
Alex Ovechkin’s second goal of the game is an overtime winner that gives the Capitals a 1-0 series lead vs. the Canadiens.
Jets 2, Blues 1
Winnipeg leads 2-0
Game 1 between the two clubs was tightly contested until the Jets took over in the third period. That trend took hold again on Monday — the score remained tied into 1-1 the third period, when Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor scored at the 1:43 mark, and the Jets were able to hold the Blues off the scoreboard for the duration. Connor’s linemate Mark Scheifele assisted on the game-winner and opened the scoring, giving him a league-leading five points this postseason. Full recap.
0:40
Kyle Connor scores clutch goal to put Jets ahead in 3rd period
Kyle Connor extends Winnipeg’s lead after a clutch goal early in the 3rd period vs. St. Louis.
Stars 4, Avalanche 3 (OT)
Series tied 1-1
The series that every observer thought would be the closest in the first round didn’t look that way in Game 1, as the Avs ran over the Stars en route to a 5-1 win. Game 2 was much more in line with expectations, as the two Western powerhouses needed OT to settle things. Colin Blackwell was the hero for Dallas, scoring with 2:14 remaining in the first OT period. Full recap.
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Colin Blackwell comes up with big OT winner for Stars
Colin Blackwell sends the Stars faithful into jubilation with a great overtime winner to tie the series at 1-1 vs. the Avalanche.
Kings 6, Oilers 5
Los Angeles leads 1-0
Monday’s nightcap was a delight to those who like offensive hockey and were willing to stay up late. The Kings roared out to a four-goal lead late in the second period before Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl scored to pull within three with six seconds remaining. The two teams traded goals to start the third, before the Oilers notched three in a row to tie up the festivities with 1:28 remaining on Connor McDavid‘s first of the 2025 playoffs. L.A.’s Phillip Danault sent his club’s fans home happy, scoring the pivotal goal with 42 seconds left. Full recap.
0:46
Kings retake lead on Phillip Danault’s goal in final minute
Phillip Danault restores the lead for the Kings with a goal vs. the Oilers in the closing moments.
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