On anniversary of 1st LL homer, Carroll homers -- twice!

May 7 is a good day for Corbin Carroll.

The D-backs' No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, and the No. 19 overall prospect in baseball, has a penchant for hitting homers on that date.

His mother had an inkling to that effect Saturday morning.

"My mom texted me a picture of me holding my first Little League home run ball," Carroll said. "Just like, I don't know, it just popped up on her phone and it was a fun little tidbit."

It probably popped up on Pey-Lin Carroll's phone because Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of that first Little League homer.

So naturally, Carroll went out and hit two more homers Saturday to aide Double-A Amarillo in an 11-run effort that ultimately fell short against Midland at Hodgetown Stadium. The first was a solo shot in the third inning to get Amarillo on the board, and the second was a three-run shot in the eighth. Carroll's 2-for-4 performance upped his season batting average to .322 and his season OPS to 1.100 through 23 games.

After the 2020 Minor League season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Carroll missed most of the '21 campaign due to a shoulder injury. So he's excited to be back on the field every day, particularly when he's crushing home runs so frequently -- he already has seven on the season, when he had six professional homers to his name coming in.

What's led to the power surge?

"I don't know if that question has a good answer," Carroll said. "I'm just trying to put good swings on balls and hit the ball hard. I'm not going to sacrifice any other part of my game to kind of force the power -- I just feel like that's an accessory to what I already do well."

Selected 16th overall by Arizona in the 2019 Draft out of Lakeside High School in Seattle, Carroll has impressed at each level of the Minors to this point, including during his time at the D-backs' alternate training site in '20. He has great speed on the basepaths and in the outfield, and an advanced approach at the plate as he continues to grow into his power.

The kid who was holding that baseball marked "1st HR, age 11," along with the date and name of his team sponsor a decade ago, has come a long way. He could be knocking on the door to the Major Leagues soon.

But May 7, 2012, has always been a day to remember in Carroll's life. And now May 7, 2022, is, too.