Finding the Next Great Miami Marlins Third Baseman
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The third base position has been questionable throughout the season for the Miami Marlins.
Some players have taken their chances at third, but we still haven't seen a top-level third baseman for this team.
However, there's one current Marlins player who has embraced the position, and there's a Marlins prospect who could be the future of that position. It's time for the Marlins to find their next great third baseman.
Javier Sanoja or Aiva Arquette for Third Base Greatness
It's intriguing how certain plans don't always pan out the way the organization thought they would. Miami's front office came into the season not realizing how well Sanoja was going to perform for them.
The young infielder is known for being a utility man. He understood his role. However, destiny played in his favor. Many things occurred, such as injuries, trades, and teammates getting demoted. Sanoja just took advantage of every opportunity. Sanoja has been one of the best players on the roster since late June. He's a reliable player who can grind it out by getting on base and getting ahead by stealing bases.
It's not always about hitting home runs. Every team needs players who are grinders and versatile. That's one of the key ingredients to building a contender team. It may be a long shot, but the Marlins are still fighting for their playoff hopes. Sanoja is one of the guys who is helping. He's not the biggest guy in terms of size and physicality, but he gives you heart and effort.
For most of the season, Sanoja has covered the third base position and he's been solid. The Marlins might have other thoughts, and that's where we take a look at Arquette.
When Arquette is healthy, he can do magical things at the plate and on the field. Arquette can play shortstop, second base, and third base. The vision that the Marlins have for him should be third base. Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez are doing well as the middle infield duo. Arquette is 22 years old and is slashing .267/.320 with an .851 OPS, with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs this season in the minors.
We haven't seen a great third baseman in a Marlins uniform since Mike Lowell. Lowell was with the Marlins from 1999 to 2005. Lowell was a quiet leader but a ferocious hitter. He made three All-Star appearances and earned the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards during his tenure with the Marlins. Lowell led by example.
Someday, we could see something close to that from either Sanoja or Arquette.
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After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.