A year ago, he was a star and a postseason champion, but Corbin Carroll's stats in 2024 don't reflect that at all. We're not saying he was already one of the best defensive players ever, but the early returns were promising with Carroll winning Rookie of the Year.
Unfortunately, this year's Corbin Carroll looks nothing like the 2023 version. To make matters worse, the Arizona Diamondbacks' record thus far reflects Carroll's struggles. So what happened to him?
What's wrong with Corbin Carroll in 2024?
It's common to see players go through a sophomore slump after excelling during their rookie campaign. But Carol's struggles go beyond that. He could be in danger of becoming a former Rookie of the Year who ends up being a complete bust.
As Carroll tries to patch things up, let's take a closer look at his poor start to 2024 and some possible reasons why.
In numbers
As previously mentioned, Corbin Carroll's stats in 2024 are a far cry from last season. He finished last year with a .285 average and an OPS of .868. But two months into the 2024 campaign, he is still hitting below .200 with an OPS nearly 300 points lower than last season. His slugging percentage, in particular, is down more than .200, as Carroll leads with six home runs and 18 doubles after hitting 25 home runs and 30 doubles in 2023.
Oddly enough, the speed of Carol's exit was not the issue. He only saw a modest drop from 90 mph to 87.1 mph in average exit speed from last year to this year. Carroll's exit velocity on off-speed pitches has actually improved as of 2023. This suggests that this is not a bat speed issue, something that would obviously be unusual for a 23-year-old.
Height problem
In 2024, the four-seam fastball was the pitch that gave Carroll the most trouble, especially in the high spots. Since he's listed at 5'10'', no one expects Carroll to be an elite hitter against high pitches. However, he is constantly getting burned by his high fastball, which did not happen last year. In 2023, against four-seam fastballs at least 30 inches high, Carroll posted an OPS of over 1,000.
On the same field this year, his OPS is closer to .400. His run value on his four-seam fastball overall last year was 13, but has dropped to -5 this year, a steep decline to say the least.
Let's get mechanical
Since bat speed is not the issue, Carroll's issues may be related to a mechanical fault that impeded his path to the ball. While loading his swing, Carroll was turning too far inside toward the catcher before the bat entered the zone.
This is called “counter-spin” and has resulted in a flatter swing rather than trying to connect from a vertical angle. As a result, Carroll was hitting a lot of shots instead of hitting long balls. This issue also explains why four-seam fastballs, especially high in the zone, have been particularly difficult for Carroll this season.
Very well very soon
If Carroll's biggest mechanical flaw has been identified, why can't he fix it? Well, it's not always easy for hitters to make adjustments like that on the go. They need to work hard so that they can make the adjustment naturally rather than thinking about the need for the adjustment.
This can sometimes lead to paralysis by analysis. Keep in mind, Carroll is only 23 years old and is already an All-Star and former Rookie of the Year. He has had success at every level of baseball he has ever played and has never faced a challenge like this in his career. It may take some time for him to figure things out and get back on track. Fortunately for D'Backs, he's too good a hitter to go back to his old self at some point.
