The Diamondbacks skipper speaks highly of Corbin Carroll, likening him to the legendary Red Sox outfielder

The Diamondbacks ultimately fell short of their goal of reaching the postseason in 2025. After a tough battle in their division, the team finished with a respectable 80-82 record after battling the likes of the Dodgers and Padres who had 90 wins in the regular season.

A key cog in the Diamondbacks’ run has been outfielder Corbin Carroll’s MVP-caliber campaign. The 25-year-old hit a league-leading 17 triples to go along with 31 home runs, 84 RBI, 32 stolen bases, and an OPS of .883. His athleticism and production earned praise from team captain Torey Lovullo, who praised Carroll and compared him to Red Sox great Dustin Pedroia in an interview with Rob Bradford on Baseball is not boring Podcast.

“Corbin Carroll is unbelievable,” Lovullo said. “He looks like a small player. He’s not very tall [and] Reminds me of Dustin Pedroia. When I saw Pedroia without a shirt, I said: “Now I know where the racket speed comes from.” He’s got incredible shoulders and incredible traps and traps. “He was just kidnapped,” he added. (38:30-38:54)

He also praised his star for having the discipline to be a better version of himself.

“He’s not taking days off. He’s working now and probably bench pressing and he’ll come in the best shape of his life because he wants to be better than last year.” (38:55-39:04)

Despite his short stature, Carroll’s system has translated directly into great results and according to Baseball Savant, he is in the 100th percentile in the league in base run value, 96th percentile in OAA play, and 94th percentile in both xwOBA and xSLG. For this, he finished sixth in NL MVP voting and received his first Silver Slugger Award.

Diamondbacks sign All-Star infielder Michael Soroka

One of the best teams to find a diamond in the rough, the Diamondbacks made a surprise move by acquiring former All-Star Michael Soroka. The two sides agreed to a one-year, $7.5 million deal on December 12.

Soroka was a noteworthy player during his time with the Braves after being named an All-Star in only his second season with the club. In 2020, he became the youngest Opening Day starter in modern team history at just 22 years old. But after several injuries, he was traded to the White Sox in 2023.

The pitcher would bounce around the Nationals and Cubs the past two seasons before being signed by the Diamondbacks who needed weapons in their starting rotation.