Shortstop of the future? Edwards earning Miami's trust

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. Reporter Matthew Ritchie filled in this weekend with the Marlins in New York. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK -- The old adage of needing to be strong up the middle of the field is as imperative as ever, especially for a young Marlins squad that’s working to establish its identity. There’s a long way to go in parsing out the club’s future, but over the past couple of months, there have been numerous clues that Miami may have found its shortstop of the future in the form of Xavier Edwards.

Marlins fans know the story: After offseason acquisition Tim Anderson was designated for assignment on July 2, Edwards was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville for his second stint in the Majors this year, with the promise to receive regular playing time at shortstop in the big leagues. And so far, Edwards is rewarding the Marlins’ trust, exhibiting a handle with the bat and the glove that has everyone dreaming about the future and appreciating the present.

“He knows what kind of player he is, and I think he is a guy that can cause havoc,” manager Skip Schumaker said on Friday. “I think the question mark was, ‘Could he play shortstop?’ And he has put in the work and proven, not only to us, but the industry as well, that he can play shortstop. So I’m proud of him, because he hasn’t stopped working there -- he still wants to get better.”

In 27 games since the All-Star break, Edwards is slashing .347/.430/.426, logging 11 mulithit games over that span. That impressive output at the plate extends back to his recall on July 2, as he’s reached base safely in 35 of 39 games since his return to the big leagues. During this torrid stretch, Edwards notched his first career cycle against the Brewers on July 28, blasting his first Major League home run in the process.

Small sample sizes don’t make a player, but the underlying metrics -- and the Marlins’ coaching staff -- seem to support the idea that Edwards’ aptitude with the bat is here to stay. He’s adept at putting the sweet spot of the bat onto the ball (35.1% squared-up rate, which would rank in 97th percentile if he had enough playing time to qualify), makes good swing decisions (20.1% chase rate and a 16.7% whiff rate) and walks at a comparable rate to which he strikes out.

Combine that with Edwards' potential game-breaking speed -- he’s just the fifth rookie in Marlins history to reach 20 stolen bases and he leads the Majors with 11 swiped bags in August (without having been caught stealing) -- and he is shaping up to be an impact player at the top of Miami's lineup.

“He’s a switch-hitter … I mean, you could compare him to [Luis] Arraez with the bat-to-ball skills, you could compare him to [Steven] Kwan with the bat-to-ball skills,” Schumaker said. “He might develop more power, too. So we’ll see what happens.”

Edwards added: “I’m just trying to stick to my routine, do the same thing every day.”

The move to shortstop remains a work in progress after Edwards bounced around, position-wise, in the Minors in past years. His -6 Outs Above Average, per Statcast, rank 37th out of 39 shortstops, but he still checks in just behind the likes of stars Oneil Cruz, Trea Turner and Mookie Betts. It’s also Edwards’ first year truly handling the responsibilities at the position -- which infield coach Jody Reed calls it the “quarterback of the infield” -- and the Marlins see continued growth and competency on the horizon for Edwards, based on his improving confidence and work ethic.

Even just in this month and a half in the big leagues, Miami can sense something shifting in the 25-year-old.

“He’s just more comfortable, more confident in his shoes and he’s adjusted his game,” Reed said. “He’s playing more aggressively. … A lot of his games before were at second base, where you could lay back a little bit with more time to read the hops. You don’t have that luxury as a shortstop, and I think that’s an adjustment that he’s made very well.”

“It’s happened more gradually, getting more comfortable at shortstop,” Edwards said. “I’m really enjoying my time here. I kind of forgot how fun it was to play shortstop, because I was away from it for so long.”

And while it seems the on-field skills are certainly part of the reason for Edwards getting off to the races over the past month, his manager also points to the sense of stability that he’s enjoyed. It's a situation that doesn’t force him to look over his shoulder, but instead allows him to work his tail off without negative reinforcement waiting in the wings.

“If you’re not on edge and motivated every day, then it’s not going to work here,” Schumaker said. “I think the main thing for X is that he can take a deep breath knowing that if he goes 0-for-4, he’s still going to play the next day. … I think he knows that, ‘I’m getting my shot, I’m going to play every day and I’m going to make the most of my opportunity.’”