Get to know Marlins' No. 12 prospect Edwards

MIAMI -- With so many infielders at camp, it has been tough to get Xavier Edwards consistent at-bats. Miami's No. 12 prospect did start at second base for Saturday afternoon's 5-3 win over the Rays at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Acquired from Tampa Bay along with reliever JT Chargois in November, the 23-year-old Edwards had yet to make his Major League debut. Though Edwards is a middle infielder by trade, manager Skip Schumaker said the North Broward Prep product also will see action in center field.

“He's got a combination of the versatility, plus-run, plus switch-hit [bat] that you just don't see too often,” Schumaker said. “The flexibility, again, is what's attractive to our staff.”

In this prospect Q&A, get to know Edwards.

MLB.com: When did you begin playing baseball and why?

Edwards: Around 6. I played tennis growing up. My sister played college tennis. She's six and a half years older than me. When we moved down here for her so that she could be playing year-round instead of having to play indoors in New York, I became active. I was always running around her tennis tournaments, and then I just kind of played both. I really liked baseball, so my mom got me into it.

MLB.com: Who's your favorite tennis player?

Edwards: Roger Federer. I like Novak Djokovic because he's the greatest ever, but when he was in his prime, I loved Roger.

MLB.com: If you weren't playing baseball, what would you be doing?

Edwards: I'd be doing real estate. I flip houses now on the side. I started in 2020, so that picked up during COVID. My dad got his real estate license and dove into it, like a family kind of thing. I should be closing soon on a house in the Royal Palm area. I try to flip a house or two a year, so I've flipped three or four since 2020. I'd probably just do that full time.

MLB.com: How would you describe yourself as a person?

Edwards: Pretty laidback, pretty low-key. But I like to have fun with my guys that I get close with, so I think those relationships I do form, they kind of see the real me. I like messing around, playing around and stuff, but I'd say I'm pretty low key here. I come off serious I guess to some people, but I think once you get to know me, I'm kind of goofy.

MLB.com: How would you describe your baseball game?

Edwards: I like playing fast. Fast, but under control. I hold defense really high on my list. I take pride in my defense, playing a good second base, shortstop, whatever it is. Doing that as well as I can. Offensively, set the table. I love getting hits. I kind of got away from it this past year, and I'm looking to get back to what I used to do so well, which is get on base and get hits and set the table. I think here they're going to let me embrace that, so I'm looking forward to that, and just playing my brand of baseball on that end.

MLB.com: Who was the coolest person you met at that Grammys Roc Nation brunch?

Edwards: I'd say Mark Wahlberg or Machine Gun Kelly.

MLB.com: You've hosted a youth camp for five years. How did that start?

Edwards: I got drafted. I finished my first half season. Me and my dad were thinking, "How can we help kids in this area?" My dad was always helping kids, whether it's like get to college or the Palm Beach Select out of the facility here. My old high school lets me use the facility there. It keeps progressing. I think I had like 18 kids the first year, second year was like 50, next year 75. Last year was like 100, and this year was like 125-130. So it just keeps growing.

We're able to have a platform to help and give back, so it's really cool that they help me every year. It's free. I don't get anything out of the camp, just help these kids. The Players Alliance recently helped out a lot. They gave a bunch of equipment, bags, cleats, batting gloves, bats. They make it all possible.