The Arizona Diamondbacks needed an offensive spark as they fought to keep pace in the National League Wild Card race. Second-year outfielder Corbin Carroll provided that, and made history after his two-home run performance in his team's 9-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
Carroll, who hit is 20th and 21st home runs of the season, joined the 20-home run, 20-stolen base club this season. Carroll was also a member of the 20-20 club last season, when he was named the National League Rookie of the Year.
After the game, Carroll spoke about what this accomplishment meant to him per PHNX Diamondbacks.
“Given the way that this year started out, if you had asked me in the middle of the season if this was possible, definitely wasn't on my mind,” Carrol said. “To find myself here at the end of the year I think is kind of a testament to just stacking the days, continuing to work and having great people around me.”
Like Carroll says, he struggled to start the season, making this feat, and his overall 2024 season even more impressive. In the first half, he slashed just .212/.301/.334 with five home runs. Since then, he has absolutely turned his season around, slashing .274/.362/.617 with 16 home runs in the second half while leading the red-hot Diamondbacks, who are currently in the postseason picture, tied with the New York Mets for the final National League Wild Card spot.
Corbin Carroll's historic 20-20 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Carroll became the fifth player in Diamondbacks history to have multiple 20-20 seasons, joining Eric Byrnes (2006, '07), Chris Young ('07, '10, '11), Justin Upton ('09, '10) and Paul Goldschmidt ('15, '16). Carroll also became just the 11th player with multiple 20-20 seasons by his age-23 season, joining Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez as the most recent to accomplish the feat.
With 29 steals so far, if Carroll, who stole 54 bases last season, is able to record one more before the regular season ends, he would become the first Diamondback to record consecutive 20-30 seasons.
Things were looking disastrous for Carroll to start the season, and people were beginning to doubt whether or not the promise he showed during his rookie season was real. To see him be able to turn it around shows a level of maturity rarely seen for such a young player, and proves that he is a cornerstone of a Diamondbacks team looking to make it back to the World Series.
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