The recent midseason top-50 prospect rankings compiled by ESPN's Kiley McDaniel have Arizona Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll at the very top, and fantasy baseball managers certainly have much to look forward to with this talented player. Carroll, 21, may not debut in the major leagues until next season, since he has batted only 116 times at Triple-A Reno, but his full-season numbers at three minor-league levels this season sure do impress. We're talking about a .315 batting average with a 1.047 OPS, 21 home runs and 30 stolen bases in 85 games.
Carroll didn't exactly fall out of favor with fantasy managers during a 2021 season in which he batted a grand total of 29 times, but certainly there were concerns when he needed season-ending surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. There is always some degree of risk in projecting players with significant shoulder injuries, even batsmen, and Carroll's development was delayed. Well, he has alleviated all worries this season. Carroll, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2019 draft, is a five-tool talent with power, speed -- and plenty of both -- combined with plate discipline. He figures to handle center field in Arizona for a long, long time.