Thursday’s Spring Training action saw two Corbins, Brewers ace Corbin Burnes and Diamondbacks rising star Corbin Carroll, take the stage in the Cactus League. Here’s a look at what those two, plus Yankees infield prospect Anthony Volpe, did on March 2./
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Volpe Goes Yard
Before we get to the two Corbins, we have to take a look at top Yankees prospect Anthony Volpe. In Grapefruit League action against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the infielder cranked a leadoff shot off of Pirates starter Mitch Keller. The home run came off an 84 MPH slider, one that was up but not exactly over the plate.
The young infielder went 2-3 with the aforementioned home run and a walk in the Yankees’ 9-1 victory against the Pirates.
Volpe is in a steep competition for a roster spot on the Yankees Opening Day roster. It won’t be easy, as Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oswald Peraza are vying for the starting shortstop role in The Bronx. If one of those two wins out, expect Volpe to be down in AAA — but it may not be long before he’s up to stay.
Carroll Shows Off Speed
Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll showed off his wheels in Cactus League action on Thursday. Against the Dodgers, Carroll muscled out a triple in the fifth inning, and showed off his blazing speed in the process.
So far this spring, Carrol has hit .333 (4-16) with two extra base hits. The prospect — who we ranked as one of our ten position player rookies to watch in fantasy this year — could break out in what is set to be his first full season in the Majors.
Burnes Make His 2023 Debut
After an interesting start to camp, Brewers ace and 2021 NL Cy Young award winner Corbin Burnes made his Cactus League debut on Thursday. Burnes blazed through the first two innings, as he got through two scoreless in just 19 pitches. Burnes showed off impressive command of his stuff, aside from a hanging breaking ball that led to a fly ball out off the bat of Clint Frazier.
Burnes did run into some trouble into the third, which he didn’t finish. In total, Burnes went 2.1 IP with one hit, one walk, one strikeout, and two earned runs.
The right-hander’s start comes just two weeks after a messy arbitration battle, which he lost. Afterwards, he stated that the fight over a new contract “definitely hurt” his relationship with the team. Burnes has just two years left of team control left before he’s set to become a free agent after the 2024 season.
