Diamondbacks call up OF Corbin Carroll, the No. 3 prospect in MLB

The Arizona Diamondbacks have called up outfielder Corbin Carroll, the No. 3 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, to make his big league debut Monday. He is batting eighth against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Carroll, a 22-year-old center fielder, has been one of the best hitters in the minor leagues since Arizona made him a first-round pick in 2019. He has posted at least a .287 batting average and an .850 OPS at each of his five levels in the minors. Carroll is sporting an impressive .307/.425/.610 slash line this season with 24 homers and 31 steals.

It was uncertain how much power the undersized left-handed hitter would possess when he was drafted, but he has made tremendous progress in that area this year; Carroll’s 24 dingers in 93 games this season far surpass his home run total in 49 games from 2019-21 (four). Although his strikeout rate has increased as he has tapped into that power, Carroll has stellar bat-to-ball skills and has shown good strike-zone judgment. He has recorded a double-digit walk rate at every minor league level, and his 23.5 K rate is just fine. It helps that he will be playing most of his game in Chase Field’s hitter-friendly environment.

Carroll’s bat was his calling card in the 2019 draft, but his athleticism is just as good, if not better. His 70-grade speed is legit. Carroll has stolen 52 bases in 59 attempts in the minors, including 31-for-36 this year.

As of this writing, Carroll is owned in only 10 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues. If you need help in batting average, on-base percentage or stolen bases, he is someone to target in all but the shallowest of leagues. He will likely whiff a little more in the majors, but should get plenty of playing time for the also-ran Diamondbacks, and the upside is evident.