How the D-backs’ young stars got them to the World Series،
PHOENIX — Tonight, under the roof of Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, a scene predicted months, weeks or even days ago will unfold: the Arizona Diamondbacks will host Game 3 of the World Series.
How did Arizona shock the baseball world and get to this point?
It starts with a young core led by right fielder Corbin Carroll and catcher Gabriel Moreno, two 23-year-old emerging stars who arrived ready to play like seasoned veterans despite their age. The bright lights of October didn’t change anything.
“I think that’s what excites me about this team, not only for this year but for the future,” Game 2 starting pitcher Merrill Kelly said. “You would expect that in the years to come, all of these guys…are already pretty close to elite players. And I think they’re only going to get better. That gives me confidence. excited about not only being a part of this series, but also moving forward.”
It’s a feeling felt throughout the organization. Most teams – at least this Baltimore team – wouldn’t play in October starting with four position players aged 24 or younger, but that’s exactly what Arizona did in the second game of the World Series. In a 9-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday, Carroll, Moreno, Alek Thomas, 23, and Geraldo Perdomo, 24, combined for six hits, three RBIs and three runs scored – highlighted by the Moreno’s fourth hit. progress of the playoffs.
Carroll, Thomas and Perdomo were all drafted or originally signed by the D-backs and rose through the minor league ranks together as part of a highly touted wave of prospects that had fans in Arizona hoping for Better days were coming, even though Arizona only lost 110 games. two years ago. It was the arrival of Moreno in an off-season trade with the Toronto Blue Jays that proved to be the final piece to turn that hope into what is at stake now. He became an elite player in his first full season, teaming up with Carroll to become the faces of the franchise who continue to outperform their age.
“Gabby is 23, but I feel like he’s 33,” said Game 1 starter Zac Gallen. “Just like he’s super cool, super calm, collected. The moment doesn’t seem to bother him. And the talent is just off the charts.”
Exhibit A: Instead of being outplayed in his first taste of October, Moreno hit three homers in his first five playoff games, against a trio of experienced postseason pitchers in Corbin Burnes, Clayton Kershaw and Lance Lynn . Exhibit B: He added another name to the list Saturday night when he broke a scoreless tie with a solo shot on a 3-2 curveball from Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery.
But the power has the plate is only part of his dynamic skillset. Behind that, his playing skills have gotten better and better while he already has one of the most powerful weapons in MLB.
“I joke that when I’m 50, I’ll see Gabi Moreno still playing in the big leagues,” Kelly said with a laugh. “He has that kind of talent.”
Reliever Joe Mantiply perked up when asked to pick Moreno’s standout moment during the postseason.
“The home run against the Dodgers (in Game 3 of the NLDS),” Mantiply said. “He hits the home run and the next pitch, to be able to throw one and hit another home run, that’s something only the best players in the world can do. It takes an incredible amount of talent and a slow heart rate to be able to execute in that moment. It’s probably the coolest thing I’ve ever seen on a field, to be honest.
Moreno had already rounded the bases and was in the dugout when the umpires – after some time – ruled the alleged home run a foul ball. On the very next pitch, he took Lynn deep – again. The smiles in the dugout were ear to ear as he circled the diamond again. It instantly became a standout moment for the young catcher and the D-backs, who hit a record four homers in that inning.
“I love playing,” Moreno said through the team interpreter. “I want to be there for my teammates as much as possible.”
In less than a year, Moreno went from being a player in another organization to becoming a vital part of Arizona’s future. The trade that landed him in the desert was the result of a surplus of young outfielders in Arizona’s system and catchers on the Blue Jays’ major league roster. As both sides dealt in depth, several iterations of potential trades were discussed. But as the D-backs did their homework, it became clear that Moreno was the player they wanted — and they were willing to give up Daulton Varsho, who produced 4.8 WAR with 53 extra-base hits (27 circuits) and 74 RBIs. in 2022, to get their guy.
“What I heard was basically he was their Corbin Carroll,” Diamondbacks special assistant Jason McLeod said of Moreno. “That’s what they thought of him in terms of person and makeup.”
It was an easy sell for the D-backs, who were well aware of the talent they had in Carroll, the heavy favorite for NL Rookie of the Year honors. His name has been at the top of prospect lists since he was selected 16th overall in the 2019 draft.
His teammates marvel at his maturity, saying he approaches the game like a grizzled veteran with a more complete game than “most 30-year-old players.” It’s a theme often heard when talking to veterans in the Diamondbacks clubhouse.
Although less lauded than Caroll and Moreno, Thomas and Perdomo also impressed with their composure throughout October.
“Maybe it’s all in our DNA and we’re not really aligned,” said Thomas, who hit a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series. “Also, we learned from some negative moments of the season. And now, on the big stage, we learn to take a deep breath and relax a little.”
When asked how the Diamondbacks cornered the market on young, mature players, general manager Mike Hazen made it clear it was no coincidence that their prospects arrived ready to play in the majors.
“I think our player development people do a really good job of elevating our players, frankly,” he explained. “We put a lot of effort into developing them from the moment they came into their family, to understanding who they are and trying to put every ounce of energy into making them the best they can be.”
That process has paid off as a group has made history with each feat as Arizona attempts to close out perhaps the most improbable playoff run of all time. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Diamondbacks are the third team in postseason history with a home run by four players 23 or younger. Moreno is also the youngest catcher to hit three home runs in a single postseason, let alone four.
With their young hitters rising to the occasion, the D-backs defeated two division winners and last year’s NL pennant winner. They stole home field advantage from the hottest team in the AL. Mantiply – who was in High-A at the age of 23 – was asked if he ever stops to appreciate what his younger teammates are accomplishing this month.
“All the time,” he said. “Almost every day. I was lucky enough to be with Alek and Corbin on the alternate site in 2020, when they were 18. And the level of talent they showed at that age was already incredible – and of maturity. I remember Thinking, Corbin in particular, was just at a different level of player than I saw at that age. And the success that they’re all having is no surprise.”
