Javier Sanoja gave the Marlins a night worth remembering Wednesday, and he did it with a kind of all-around damage that doesn’t come around often.
Against the Boston Red Sox, the 23-year-old Miami utility man piled up three hits and three stolen bases, putting himself in a tiny club. He joined Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz and Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong as the only players age 23 or younger to post three hits and three steals in the same game. He also became the second Marlin to do it this season, following Jakob Marsee, who had four stolen bases in a game this year.
Sanoja’s big night helped carry Miami to a 4-0 win, a result the club badly needed. He was in control from start to finish, swinging with confidence and staying locked in on the details every chance he got.
This hasn’t been a one-night burst, either. Sanoja has flashed this level before.
Eleven days ago, he picked up his third three-RBI game against the Reds. In late June, he closed out the month with back-to-back three-RBI games against the Colorado Rockies.
Power is not really his calling card, though. His game is built more around line drives and steady contact, and he has not homered since Aug 1 against the New York Mets.
He also delivered in a big moment on Aug 21, when he tied the game in the eighth inning and then won it in the ninth against the Washington Nationals. That night brought his first MLB walk-off hit, and it fit the pattern he’s been building all season: dependable, timely, and dangerous in more than one way.
Over his last seven games, Sanoja is hitting .385/.407/.538 with 10 hits, four RBIs, and three stolen bases. For the season, he has pushed his batting average to .280 with six home runs, 51 RBIs, and a .738 OPS.
With production like that, it’s easy to see why he’s becoming a bigger favorite in Miami. And with the Marlins still without a true full-time third baseman, Sanoja has been the one holding that spot down. Miami is 68-66 and has the day off before opening a four-game weekend series against the Nationals.
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Just as important, Lopez has given Miami something it has not always had enough of lately: a player whose rise appears rooted in steady work rather than a sudden burst. Manager Clayton McCullough has pointed to Lopezs work ethic and the progress he has made over the past few seasons, and the Marlins are counting on that trajectory to continue as part of the rebuilding effort. The bigger question now is how far Lopez can carry this level of play, and whether the rest of the roster can rise with him. [Read more 🡒]