Carroll, Gunnar linked again as unanimous Rookies of the Year

The leadoff man and center fielder was a Seattle speedster named Corbin Carroll. The third baseman was a tall, athletic kid from small-town Alabama named Gunnar Henderson.

It was the American team at the 2018 Under Armour All-America Game. And as it turns out, it was a preview of the 2023 Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year class in MLB.

When the D-backs’ Carroll and the Orioles’ Henderson were announced Monday night on MLB Network as unsurprising – and as it turns out, unanimous – winners of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America rookie honors in the American and National Leagues, it was the second time they were paired together. The first was back when they were amateur prospects in a showcase game at Wrigley Field in which Carroll’s two hits and Henderson’s two RBIs helped lead their squad to victory.

“We got to spend time together there,” Henderson said. “Being able to then take it to the big leagues and both winning Rookie of the Year is pretty special.”