NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DIAMONDBACKS VS PHILLIES

October 23, 2023

Corbin Carroll

Citizens Bank Park

Arizona Diamondbacks

Pregame 6 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Corbin Carroll.

Q. I'm curious what you are seeing out of your teammate, Alek Thomas, and just what is he doing better or different that's allowing him to hit this well here in the postseason?

CORBIN CARROLL: I've gotten to see him since 2020. You know, play with him. I've always seen kind of that ability to drive the ball, a special ability to drive the ball especially the other way. To see it come out right now on the biggest stage in this way, as a friend, it makes me so happy to see.

Q. Just related to that, obviously you guys are at the alt site and have gone through all of this. Do you remember a conversation with him from that time of this is where we'll be someday, and here you are?

CORBIN CARROLL: Yeah, absolutely. Those conversations would absolutely take place in 2020. It was us two and Dominic Fletcher as well there. We'll be, like, how cool would it be if all three of us were in the outfield one day together?

I think there was a period this year where all three of us were on the active roster, and those are cool memories to look back on.

Q. Last year the Phillies snagged a Wild Card spot late and ended up in the World Series. This year for you guys as the second half evolved and you are in the thick of things in the Wild Card picture, how much of a sense was there of, okay, let's just get into the playoffs and then anything can happen after that?

CORBIN CARROLL: Yeah, I think you nailed it. That was I think outright said a couple of times, right? You don't have to be -- if are you playing good baseball in the playoffs, we've seen it before, stuff can happen. That race for us kind of going down to the end there, it was just exciting to come out in the top half of that and realize that we were going to have a chance to do this thing.

Q. When it was said outright, who would be the one saying it?

CORBIN CARROLL: I can't quite remember, but it definitely was one of the thoughts out there.

Q. I'm curious what you've seen of Gabi Moreno this season from the acquisition being -- you know, getting him in a trade last year. He started a little slow, got hurt. Now he just looks like the player everybody thought he was going to be. What's been the biggest change in him? What have you seen?

CORBIN CARROLL: I think just fully healthy. Early on maybe playing a little bit less, just kind of getting into the routine of playing every day and having that rhythm. He's a special player. We hit together a good amount this offseason, and you could see it right away.

I enjoy watching him and his process. Even his cage work is fun for me to watch. It's a special approach, a special bat to ball. And then you can't say enough about what he does for us on defense as well in controlling the run game and throwing guys out.

Q. What is that approach specifically that is so special? Or what makes it so special?

CORBIN CARROLL: Really his ability to use the right half of the field. It seems like he can almost place a ball where he wants it over there.

It kind of reminds me, the only other guy that I've felt that same way about -- you know, Lourdes has a little bit of that to him too -- but Wilmer Flores. I remember he was rehabbing with us in '19, and he just seemed to have that ability to place the ball.

Q. It seemed like in the last game in Arizona you were starting to really impact some baseballs kind of in the way we saw in the Wild Card series and in the divisional round. Was there something specifically that was feeling better for you in those at-bats, and if so, what was that?

CORBIN CARROLL: A little mechanical thing that I cleaned up that I felt gave me some freedom up there and just some quickness. So hoping to roll that over into today.

Q. Which coaches did you work with on that?

CORBIN CARROLL: All four of the hitting coaches.

Q. Your last at-bat of Game 4 too, you hit that ball to center real well. Was that just an adjustment you made prior to Game 5 that you are talking about, or have you been getting closer?

CORBIN CARROLL: Prior to or just for yesterday's game, how to focus that or a cue that I thought worked well for me. I think when you feel a sense of freedom up there, that can give you some confidence, and that, in turn, just everything kind of starts to fall into line. Again, just hoping to take that from then and keep that rolling today.

Q. Just to go back on Alek on the defensive end, the defensive metrics have him as one of the best outfielders in baseball this year. Just take me through what he does, what allows him to be so impactful at that end of things?

CORBIN CARROLL: Yeah, I mean, to talk about that you've got to go back to him as a little kid shagging balls in the outfield for the Sox, right? It's exactly that. It feels like he was kind of raised out there or born out there.

Just some innate abilities. I think you could also talk maybe a little bit about the football aspect of him and that ability to kind of anticipate the fence and just have that, I guess, proprioception and that ability.

Again, that's something that I've seen for years now, and it's special.