In 2007, his senior season at C-NS, Corbin had an 8–0 win–loss record, allowing only 33 hits and 16 runs while striking out 76 batters in 47 innings pitched. C-NS became the top ranked team in the state of New York, and Corbin was named to the All-League team and first team All-Central New York. He graduated from C-NS with a record of 14–0 and 139 strikeouts.

Following the 2009 season, Corbin signed a letter of intent with the University of Southern Mississippi. He planned to transfer to Southern Miss in order to continue his college baseball career with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I.

Corbin signed with the Angels, receiving a $450,000 signing bonus, forgoing his commitment to Southern Miss. Corbin pitched for the Orem Owlz of the Rookie-level Pioneer League in 2009, where Kotchman served as his manager. Corbin struggled in his first professional experience. In his first six appearances, five of them starts, he allowed 23 hits and 12 earned runs in 17 ⁄3 innings, giving him a 6.23 ERA. Corbin later related that he attempted to strike out too many batters while pitching for Orem.

At the trade deadline, Corbin was traded to the Diamondbacks with Joe Saunders, Rafael Rodríguez, and Tyler Skaggs for Dan Haren. The Diamondbacks assigned Corbin to the Visalia Rawhide of the California League. Corbin pitched to a 1.38 ERA in 26 innings with Visalia. In 2011, while pitching for the Mobile Bay Bears of the Class AA Southern League, he set a franchise record with 27 ⁄3 consecutive scoreless innings. He finished the season with a 9–8 win-loss record and 142 strikeouts in 160 ⁄3 innings pitched. His strikeout total led the Southern League, and Mobile won the league championship.

The Diamondbacks invited Corbin to spring training in 2012, where he pitched to a 0.57 earned run average. Corbin began the 2012 season with Mobile, pitching to a 2–0 record and 1.67 ERA in four starts.

On April 30, 2012, the Diamondbacks promoted Corbin to the major leagues to start in place of Josh Collmenter, who was moved to the bullpen. Joe Martinez was optioned to the Reno Aces of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League to make room for Corbin on the roster. Corbin allowed three runs in 5 ⁄3 innings in his MLB debut against the Miami Marlins, picking up the win. Corbin also had two sacrifice bunts and scored a run in the victory. After pitching to a 2–3 record and a 5.27 ERA in five starts, the Diamondbacks optioned Corbin to Reno on May 22, as Daniel Hudson was set to return to the Diamondbacks from the disabled list. Hudson suffered an elbow injury in June, and the Diamondbacks recalled Corbin as a long reliever, while moving Collmenter into the rotation. The Diamondbacks again optioned Corbin to Reno in July so that he could continue to work as a starting pitcher when they activated Saunders off of the disabled list. The Diamondbacks recalled Corbin on August 1, displacing Collmenter in the rotation. In 107 innings with the Diamondbacks, Corbin pitched to a 6–8 record and 4.54 ERA.

During the 2012–13 offseason, Corbin gained 10 pounds (4.5 kg) and added 2 miles per hour (3.2 km/h) to his fastball. Corbin made the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster out of spring training in 2013, pitching in the starting rotation. He won the National League (NL) Pitcher of the Month Award for May 2013, after he pitched to a 5–0 record and 1.53 ERA in five games started. Corbin was named an All-Star, as he had an 11–1 record with a 2.35 ERA, which was the third best in the NL at the All-Star break. Corbin was the eighth youngest player named an All-Star. In the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, Corbin received the loss after allowing the game’s first run in the fourth inning. He finished the season with a 3.41 ERA.

Corbin improved his changeup after pitching in Instructional League during the 2009–10 offseason, which led Corbin to consider it a better pitch than his slider. However, Todd Helton, after striking out twice against Corbin early in the 2013 season, dubbed Corbin’s slider “the best I’ve ever seen.” In 2011, he developed a knuckle curve, which he believes contributed to his consecutive scoreless innings streak.

During spring training in 2014, Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson decided that Corbin would start on Opening Day. However, Corbin felt arm tightness during a spring training start. An MRI revealed damage to his ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery, and missed the entire 2014 season. The Diamondbacks placed Corbin on the 15-day disabled list on March 30, and transferred him to the 60-day disabled list on April 4, in order to open a roster spot for Roger Kieschnick, who they claimed off waivers.

Corbin returned to the Diamondbacks on July 4, 2015. He made 16 starts for the Diamondbacks, pitching to a 6–5 record and a 3.60 ERA. Eligible for salary arbitration for the first time, Corbin and the Diamondbacks agreed to a $2.525 million salary for the 2016 season. In 2016, Corbin pitched to a 4–12 record and a 5.58 ERA in 24 starts through mid-August, with a 7.68 ERA over his last nine starts. The Diamondbacks then demoted Corbin to work as a relief pitcher. He had a 2.70 ERA in 23 ⁄3 innings as a relief pitcher, including 13 consecutive innings without allowing a run to end the year.

In 2017, Corbin and the Diamondbacks agreed to a $3.95 million salary. Corbin returned to the starting rotation. He finished the 2017 season with a 4.03 ERA in 189 ⁄3 innings pitched; his ERA during the final three months of the season was 2.90. Though the Diamondbacks made it to the 2017 National League Division Series, Corbin did not appear. Torey Lovullo, the team’s manager had decided Corbin would start Game 4, but the Diamondbacks were eliminated after Game 3.

Corbin has three siblings. His sister played for the basketball team at C-NS. Corbin met his girlfriend, Jen, when they were classmates at C-NS. They were engaged in May 2017, and married in November 2018.

Corbin and the Diamondbacks agreed to a $7.5 million salary for 2018. Corbin started for the Diamondbacks on Opening Day in 2018. On April 17, against the San Francisco Giants, he threw 7 ⁄3 no-hit innings in a complete game shutout. He made the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, after pitching to a 6–3 record and a 3.05 ERA with 140 strikeouts in 112 innings.

On December 7, 2018, the Washington Nationals announced a six-year deal with Corbin worth $140 million.

On July 2, 2019, Corbin chose to wear number 45 in his start against the Miami Marlins to honor the late Tyler Skaggs who died the day before. In 2019 he was 14-7 with a 3.25 ERA (8th in the NL) in 33 starts, in which he struck out 238 batters in 202.0 innings.

In Game 7 of the 2019 World Series, Corbin was the winning pitcher, leading to the Nationals’ first championship in franchise history. Corbin’s 13.886 strikeouts per nine innings pitched in the 2019 playoffs was the 3rd highest ever in a single MLB playoffs. Corbin won the 2019 Warren Spahn Award.

Corbin was friends with former teammate Tyler Skaggs, who died on July 1, 2019. They played rookie ball together as well as Class AA baseball. Skaggs was a groomsman in Corbin’s 2019 offseason wedding. On July 2, Corbin honored Skaggs by wearing 45 for a game against the Miami Marlins.

In 2020 he was 2-7 with a 4.66 ERA. He led the NL in hits allowed (85), and had the highest WHIP of all NL qualified pitchers (1.569).