Corbin Carroll Unfazed By the Pressures of the Postseason

Corbin Carroll has been nothing short of spectacular since debuting in last August. The Diamondbacks rookie has put together an impressive regular season, becoming the first ever rookie to record a 25 home run and 50 stolen base season. Even with those feats, it was merely a taste of what was to come in the postseason.

Once the D-backs clinched a Wild Card spot, Carroll has been a major force in the lineup. It didn't take long for him to make his mark, hitting a monumental blast off a Cy Young Award winner in his second at-bat. In his first four postseason games he is hitting .500 (7-for-14) with two home runs, a stolen base, and a 1.632 OPS. His 12 times reaching base ties Evan Carter, another rookie, for the most number of times reaching base through four games this postseason. That total is also tied for the third most in MLB postseason history.

"I think he has an inward confidence that he was born with" said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo. "I think he feel that his preparation and the intensity of his preparation has prepared him for this moment."

Each moment in the postseason becomes more magnified and being able to control their adrenaline becomes a key aspect in being able to perform in those moments. For Carroll, a strict adherence to his routine and preparation has been his secret.

"For me it starts before the game. I have an all-encompassing approach where I like to make sure that I'm taking care of all the stuff I need to take care of away from the field, whether it's sleep, nutrition, all those things. If I can check those boxes and say I'm doing those to the best of my ability, then I just feel like I have the freedom to go out there and play freely without any kind of second-guessing or doubt."

For the D-backs, having their superstar player be unfazed by the pressure of playing in the postseason has been a huge lift for the rest of the lineup. His consistent presence on the bases has created more situations for Tommy Pham, Christian Walker, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to drive in runs. Through their first four games, the D-backs have scored 25 runs and Carroll scoring six of them.

With Carroll leading the charge, Arizona will have their first chance to advance to their first National League Championship Series appearance since the 2007 season tomorrow night.