The Arizona Diamondbacks are off to a promising start in the 2025 season, and a big reason for that is the resurgence of outfielder Corbin Carroll—who’s apparently fueled by an unusual secret weapon: pumpkin seeds. On April 25, 2025, at 12:24 PM CDT, MLB Network Radio shared a clip of Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo praising Carroll’s growth and revealing his unique dugout ritual. “I can’t say enough good things about Corbin,” Lovullo said. “There was a level of maturing that we went through last year. We all remember the struggles early in the year, and he was doing everything with a purpose. It was to be in this position today to be a more complete hitter than he was last year or yesterday. That’s his mindset.” Then came the quirky revelation: “Every day he walks into the dugout with a bag of pumpkin seeds. It’s a Ziploc plan of pumpkin seeds. That oughta tell you that he has a plan to stay hydrated and nourished at a different level. Sunflower seeds, chewing on gum, drinking Gatorade and water, that’s not his plan. He has a very strict regimen, and he goes out there and does it every single day.”
Carroll’s pumpkin seed habit might sound odd, but it’s hard to argue with the results. The 24-year-old, who won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2023, is having a monster April. He’s hitting .321 with a 1.065 OPS, and his nine home runs are tied for the MLB lead, a stat highlighted by MLB’s official X account on April 23. Just two days ago, Carroll crushed two homers in a single game against the Tampa Bay Rays, including a go-ahead shot, though the Diamondbacks ultimately lost the series, dropping their record to 14-11. Compare that to last April, when Carroll was batting a meager .193 with one homer and five RBIs, and the team was 12-17—a slow start that contributed to their missing the playoffs despite an 89-73 finish. This year, Carroll’s hot bat has Arizona in a much better spot, and if the rest of the team follows his lead—maybe even hopping on the pumpkin seed train—they could be serious contenders in the NL West.
Carroll’s turnaround isn’t just about nutrition; it’s about growth as a player. After a stellar 2023 where he slashed .285/.362/.506 with 25 homers and 54 stolen bases, becoming the first rookie to join the 20-50 club (20+ homers, 50+ steals), he slumped hard in the first half of 2024. He hit just .213/.301/.334 before the All-Star break, struggling with breaking balls (.182 average) and a low BABIP (.256) that reflected some bad luck. But he turned it around in the second half, hitting .259 with a .919 OPS over his final 64 games, a surge that coincided with his move to right field full-time. This year, he’s continued that momentum, showing improved power (seven homers by April 22, per BVM Sports) and a knack for destroying high fastballs (.474 average, .947 slugging). An X post from
@advancedstats23 on April 23 noted that Carroll’s power surge comes from a longer, faster swing, more flyballs, and pulling more of them, though his increased chase rate might make him vulnerable to offspeed pitches down the line.
The Diamondbacks’ offense isn’t just the Corbin Carroll show, though. Josh Naylor and Pavin Smith have stepped up big after joining the team this offseason to replace Christian Walker (now with the Astros) and Joc Pederson (now with the Rangers). Naylor, acquired from Cleveland, has 17 RBIs through April 24, providing steady production at first base despite some defensive hiccups. Smith, taking over as the left-handed DH, leads the NL with a .365 batting average, a huge upgrade over the team’s .678 OPS at DH in 2023, which ranked 27th in MLB. Meanwhile, Walker and Pederson have struggled with their new teams—Walker’s batting .214 with a .633 OPS through April 23, and Pederson’s at .221 with a .674 OPS—making the Diamondbacks’ roster moves look savvy so far.
But while the offense is clicking, the pitching remains a concern. Brandon Pfaadt, at 26, has been a bright spot with a 2.73 ERA, 149 ERA+, and four wins already, including a strong six-inning outing against the Brewers on April 14. After him, though, the rotation is shaky. Corbin Burnes, the big offseason signing (six years, $210 million), has a 101 ERA+, barely above average, and the rest of the starters—Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Eduardo Rodriguez—have been inconsistent. Gallen’s ERA is sitting at 4.12 through April 17, Kelly’s at 4.68, and Rodriguez’s at 5.03, a far cry from the 2.43 ERA the rotation posted over a five-game stretch during a recent homestand. Last year, Arizona’s pitching woes (a 4.48 team ERA, 20th in MLB) were a big reason they missed the playoffs, and if they don’t tighten up, it could cost them again in 2025.
Carroll’s emergence as the team’s catalyst can’t be overstated. In 2023, when he took off, the Diamondbacks went from a wild-card hopeful to NL pennant winners, sweeping the Dodgers in the NLDS and beating the Phillies in a seven-game NLCS, where Carroll went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two steals in Game 7. This year, with Ketel Marte sidelined by a hamstring strain, Carroll’s been the sparkplug, creating scoring opportunities and setting the tone. Projections from FanGraphs and The Athletic had the Diamondbacks at 86-87 wins before the season, with a wild-card spot in reach, but Carroll’s MVP-caliber start—he’s a top NL MVP candidate, per BVM Sports—could push them closer to the 90-win mark some analysts, like Keith Law, predicted.
Next up, the Diamondbacks host the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 25, at Chase Field—a tough test against a team that knocked them out of playoff contention last year via tiebreaker. If Carroll keeps swinging like this, and maybe gets his teammates to join the pumpkin seed regimen, Arizona might just have the firepower to overcome their pitching woes and make a deep run in 2025. For now, all eyes are on their young star—and his Ziploc bag.
