JUPITER, Fla. -- There’s a noticeably different air to Marlins outfielder Jesús Sánchez this spring.

Behind an effervescent smile that he inherited from his mother, Sánchez playfully trash talks with Bryan De La Cruz during a ping pong practice game. He jokes about being the left-handed Jorge Soler after switching from No. 7 to No. 12 for veteran Tim Anderson.

“I think that's Jesús Sánchez,” Sánchez said in English, another sign of his growing comfort level. “I'm always trying to give the best I can to feel confident.”

A year ago, Sánchez tried his best to feel that way, but it was difficult because of the uncertainty surrounding his standing within the organization. Out of Minor League options, he would need to make the Opening Day roster or else be subject to waivers. If he did so, it would be as the fourth outfielder.

Miami had moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. to center field, and manager Skip Schumaker publicly stated he would like De La Cruz to get 500-plus plate appearances. Then there was the hope veteran Avisaíl García could bounce back after a disappointing 2022 season -- his first after signing a four-year free-agent contract. Sánchez didn’t play until the third game of the season, and at first, the left-handed batter formed a platoon of sorts with right-handed-hitting counterparts García and De La Cruz.

“That's true because I was feeling, like, nervous panic,” Sánchez said. “I was feeling like I don't know what's going to happen to me. I need to give all I have, because I don't know what decision they're going to make with me. It was very, very hard. Right now, I feel more loose.”

Injuries would limit García to 37 games in 2023, so Sánchez took advantage of the opportunity. He set or matched career highs for games (125), on-base percentage (.327), doubles (23), triples (3), homers (14) and RBIs (52). His 108 OPS+ indicated that he was eight percent better than MLB average after adjusting for league and park factors. He accumulated five Defensive Runs Saved between all three outfield spots.

That success, plus marrying his wife, Esmeralda, over the offseason, has given the 26-year-old Sánchez an even happier mindset this spring -- and it has been noticeable to Schumaker and his staff. Sánchez and De La Cruz aren’t content just being in the Majors, they want to be great. They want to help Miami return to the postseason and make a deeper run.

“He's going to be a middle-of-the-order type of bat depending on what the lineup looks like,” Schumaker said. “If it's in the sixth or seventh hole, that's a really good lineup then, especially against righties. We are looking forward to him being in there most days because of his production and what he did and what he gave us last year. I put him in different roles. Three-hole, whatever, to six-hole, seven-hole, and he produced. He had a great year last year, and he played a really good right field.

“So I don't know if it's a platoon. I don't know if he works himself into [an] everyday [role]. I think that's up to the player and the opportunity he's given and what he does with them. Again, he and De La both came in different, and you can tell how they work, their mindset. I feel like they're more comfortable talking in meetings and all that stuff, so it's been really fun to watch them grow. And Sánchez, especially, I just feel like they feel like they're everyday guys now, which is kind of cool.”

Sánchez looks back on the ups and downs of his 2023 season and knows in order to limit the latter, in order to take that next step, he needs to control his emotions and remain calm. There’s no need to take the big swing in big moments. Be patient. It’s a mentality that can relate to all walks of life.

“Where I am, I feel very comfortable,” Sánchez said. “I'm enjoying life. I'm blessed. I think my goal for 2024 is stay healthy, because I know if I'll be healthy, I'm going to be good. That's the same I was telling you: If I feel healthy, I am going to be good. I'm going to have a lot of success with my team with myself and everything.”