Two young superstars lead their teams into battle for a three game series at Chase Field

When the Arizona Diamondbacks host the Baltimore Orioles for three games starting Monday night at Chase Field. Ttwo of the most exciting young players in MLB will lead their teams into battle.

Corbin Carroll and Gunnar Henderson each won their respective league’s Rookie of the Year award in 2023 at the age of 22.

Henderson put up an even stronger season in 2024, batting .281 with 37 homers, 118 runs scored, an .892 OPS, and above average defense at shortstop to go with it. He missed the first week of the 2025 season with an intercostal (rib cage) strain. He returned over the weekend and in his first three games has gone 1-for-13.

Carroll began the 2024 season in a well documented slump that lasted three months, but broke out in the second half to hit 21 homers and steal 20 bases. With a new batting stance that’s helping him cover pitches up in the strike zone, he’s started out 2025 on fire, batting .282/.391/.641, 1.032 OPS. Carroll has three doubles, a triple, and three homers already, but has yet to steal a base, oddly enough.

The Orioles

Baltimore comes into Chase Field with a 4-6 record and scored 47 runs while allowing 47. They took two of three from the Blue Jays to open the season, but then lost three of four to the Red Sox and two of three to the Royals over the weekend. Baltimore has taken the season series from the Diamondbacks each of the last two years, winning two of three each time.

The Orioles lost Corbin Burnes to free agency of course, as the star pitcher signed with the Diamondbacks. He will not pitch in this series however. Slugger Anthony Santander also left via free agency. The biggest adds for Baltimore were outfielder Tyler O’Neill, starter Charlie Morton, and reliever Andrew Kittredge.

On the injury front, outfielder Colton Cowser is out for six to eight weeks with fractured thumb. Kittredge had arthroscopic knee surgery and will also miss multiple months.

The Diamondbacks

Arizona is 5-5, and scored 58 runs while allowing 51. After splitting a four game series with the Cubs to open the season they took two of three from the Yankees, but dropped two of three to the Nationals.

Three of the D-backs five losses have been by one run. They had the trying run in scoring position in the ninth inning of both Saturday’s and Sunday’s games against Washington, but were unable to bring the runner home. Both games ended on a replay challenges.

The big injury news for the D-backs over the weekend was superstar second baseman Ketel Marte injuring his hamstring and going on the 10-day IL. He is expected to miss at least several weeks, but is only just getting his MRI in Phoenix Monday morning. There is currently no timeline for his return.

Pitching Matchups

Monday 6:40 P.M. MST

RHP Zach Eflin, 1-1, 3.75 ERA, 4.34 FIP in 12 IP. Effin went to Baltimore just prior to the trade deadline last year and has pitched well for the Orioles, going 6-3 with a 2.81 ERA since the trade. The D-backs have not faced Eflin since June of 2023.

RHP Zac Gallen 1-1, 3.38 ERA, 2.24 FIP in 10.2 IP. Gallen had one of the best starts of his career last time out against the Yankees. He went 6.2 scoreless innings, struck out 13, and didn’t walk a batter. That was a big reversal from a shaky opening day start against the Cubs.

Tuesday, 6:40 P.M. MST

RHP Charlie Morton, 0-2, 9.72 ERA, 4.17 FIP in 8.1 IP. Morton has struck out 13 and walked just three so far, but has given up 13 hits, including two homers. The 41 year old has not fared well against the D-backs in his last five starts dating back to 2021, going 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA.

RHP Merrill Kelly, 1-1, 10.00 ERA, 9.09 FIP in 9.0 IP. Kelly is coming off the worst game of his career. He gave up nine runs on nine hits, including three homers agains the Yankees on April 3. He has not seemed to have any issues from last year’s shoulder injury, but command both in and around the zone has been completely lacking. He’s walked seven and struck out just three.

Wednesday 12:40 P.M. MST

RHP Dean Kremer, 1-1, 6.52 ERA, 3.60 FIP in 9.2 IP. The 29 year old Kremer has only walked two batters and struck out seven, but has given up 13 hits. He picked up a win against the Blue Jays on March 29 despite allowing five runs in 5.1 innings. He’s faced the D-backs once in his career, May 12 of last year. He was tagged with a tough loss, giving up six runs, but just three earned, while striking out 10 Diamondbacks in 5.2 innings.

RHP Brandon Pfaadt, 1-1, 5.25 ERA, 6.17 FIP in 12 IP. Pfaadt was bit by the long ball once again in his his last outing against the Nationals, giving up three of them. He’s struck out nine and walked just one so far this year.

Hot Hitters

Cedric Mullins is off to a great start for Baltimore, batting .313 with three homers and a 1.092 OPS. Tyler O’Neill is 11-for-33, .333 with three doubles, a triple, and an opening day homer. He holds the record for opening day homers with seven. Nobody else has more than four. Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday are off to good starts, with .891 and .888 OPS respectively (league average is .711 so far in 2025).

Other than the red hot Carroll, part-timers Pavin Smith (.958 OPS) and Alek Thomas (.963 OPS) have hit well when given the chance to play. Eugenio Suarez homered five times in the first five games, but has cooled considerably since then.

Randal Grichuk has been delivering against left-hand pitching, batting .278 with an .850 OPS. Don’t be surprised to see him get a start on Tuesday against the right-hander Morton. Grichuk is 7-for-21 against Morton with a .915 OPS in his career.