Corbin Carroll voted NL All-Star starter

Justice was truly served this afternoon, with the Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll being named one of the three starting outfielders for the National League, in next month’s All-Star Game in Seattle. He’ll join the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts and the Braves Ronald Acuña Jr. and will become the first D-back outfielder in a starting line-up since all the way back in 2001, when Luis Gonzalez made it (weirdly, Gonzo ended up in center field, a position he never played in the regular season for Arizona). The full NL position players line-up is:

• C: Sean Murphy, Atlanta
• 1B: Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles
• 2B: Luis Arraez, Miami
• SS: Orlando Arcia, Atlanta
• 3B: Nolan Arenado, St. Louis
• OF: Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta
• OF: Corbin Carroll, Arizona
• OF: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles
• DH: J.D. Martinez, Los Angeles

All being well (and the news regarding his early departure from today’s game appears to be good), he will become the 10th D-backs to start in the midsummer classic. The others were:

• Ketel Marte - 2019, 2B
• Paul Goldschmidt - 2018, DH
• Paul Goldschmidt - 2015, 1B
• Paul Goldschmidt - 2014, 1B
• Curt Schilling - 2002, P
• Luis Gonzalez - 2001, CF
• Randy Johnson - 2000, P
• Jay Bell - 1999, 2B
• Matt Williams - 1999, 3B

Corbin will be only 22 at the time of his appearance in Seattle, which will make him easily the youngest D-back to appear in the All-Star Game as a starter. Ketel was aged 25 when he started in 2019. The youngest ever was Justin Upton, who was 21 years and 323 days old when he took part in 2009. Then comes 22-year-old Carroll, and there have been three 23-year-olds to represent Arizona: Byung-Hyun Kim in 2002, Upton again in 2011, and Patrick Corbin in 2012. In terms of starting for the NL, we did have Fernando Tatis Jr. at age 22 two years ago, and Acuña is a positive veteran, having been 21 when he started for the NL in the 2019 All-Star Game.

There’s a chance he might be joined in the starting line-up by Zac Gallen, and there is also the possibility that the likes of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and/or Ketel Marte could join Carroll. The reserve position players and all pitchers, who are selected via player ballot choices and the Commissioner’s Office”. will be announced on Sunday.

A few other interesting tidbits from the D-backs:

• Becomes the 24^th Major League (since 1936) and 10^th National League (since 1948) Rookie All-Star starter.
• Is the Majors’ first Rookie starter since OF Aaron Judge/NYY in 2017, the NL’s first Rookie starter since OF Joc Pederson/LAD in 2015 (replaced fan-elected starter due to injury) and NL’s first fan-elected starter since OF Jason Heyward/ATL in 2010 (elected a starter but did not play due to injury).
• Is the D-backs’ first Rookie to earn a fan-elected start, first Rookie position player to be named an All-Star and second Rookie overall, joining LHP Wade Miley (2012).
• Is the D-backs’ sixth fan-elected starter, joining 2B Ketel Marte (2019), 1B Paul Goldschmidt (2014-15), CF Luis Gonzalez (2001), 2B Jay Bell (1999) and 3B Matt Williams (1999).
• Becomes the D-backs’ eighth All-Star starter (11 starts) [fan-elected starts in bold]: Corbin Carroll (2023), Paul Goldschmidt (2014, 2015, 2018); Randy Johnson (2000, 2001); Jay Bell (1999); Luis Gonzalez (2001); Ketel Marte (2019); Curt Schilling (2002); Matt Williams (1999).
• Become the seventh D-backs All-Star outfielder (12 selections) along with Devon White (1998), Luis Gonzalez (1999, 2001-03, ‘05), Steve Finley (2000), Justin Upton (2009, ’11), Chris Young (2010), A.J. Pollock (2015).
• Becomes the 15th D-backs All-Star position player (23 selections) along with Devon White (1998), Luis Gonzalez (1999, 2001-03, ‘05), Steve Finley (2000), Damian Miller (2002), Junior Spivey (2002), Orlando Hudson (2007), Justin Upton (2009, ’11), Chris Young (2010), Miguel Montero (2011, ‘14), Paul Goldschmidt (2014, 2015, 2018), A.J. Pollock (2015), Jake Lamb (2017), Ketel Marte (2017) and Eduardo Escobar (2021).