Carroll, a 2019 first round draft selection by the D-backs, has been their outfielder of the future since day 1. The D-backs have been ready to see the 22-year-old blossom into an MLB superstar from the moment they drafted him. Carroll is coming off of an excellent start to his MLB career, as he posted 4 home runs, .333 BABIP, .358 wOBA, 130 wRC+, and a 1.4 fWAR. Carroll has also become the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year favorite, as he turned a lot of heads with his amazing, all around tools. According to sources, Carroll’s contract also includes a club option for 2031, which could make his deal worth up to $134 million.

Carroll is the latest young extension in a new, league-wide trend of teams extending their young superstars early. Carroll’s contract breaks down to about a little more than $13.8 million a season. This contract comes as an absolutely great deal for the D-backs, as players of Carrol’s caliber are reaching as much as $30 million or more a year. Another player similar to Carrol’s age and talent arsenal, Julio Rodriguez, fetched an extension that could reach $470 million over 17 years.

The D-backs young core is starting to form in full effect, and Carroll may be just the first of many young stars extended by the franchise. Carroll is currently the leader of a young group of stars that includes catcher Gabriel Moreno, Jake McCarthy, and Alek Thomas. This young group isn’t even mentioning the countless talented prospects the D-backs have in their MiLB system, that haven’t even reached the big-leagues yet.

Carroll has showed his talents even further over short sample sizes, as he hit 24 homers throughout the D-backs MiLB levels in 2022, which was also the year he debuted in the MLB. Carroll has also recorded the fastest sprint speed in Major League Baseball, making him valuable defensively in the outfield, as he can track down hard hit balls. Carroll’s speed could also lead to more extra base hits and infield hits, giving him even more value on the offensive side of things.

Overall, Carroll’s new contract should prove extremely smart by the D-backs front office with time, being one of the best young contracts in baseball. There is no doubt that Carrol will continue to develop at the MLB level, making him an incredibly, worthwhile investment by the D-backs going forward.