Connor Norby’s Struggles Leaves Uncertainty at Third Base for Marlins
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There were quite a few breakouts in a Miami Marlins season that saw a lot of improvement from 2024. Jake Marsee came up and slugged his way into a possible job next season and both Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez cemented themselves in the middle infield.
The biggest breakout of all was outfielder Kyle Stowers, who was an All-Star in 2025. He was acquired at the 2024 deadline from the Baltimore Orioles along with infielder Connor Norby. Being from a loaded Orioles' system, Miami hoped they would slot in the lineup for the forseeable future.
For Norby, that hasn't been the case after putting up a below average season as a third baseman. Without a real answer within the organization as it currently stands, the Marlins will have to patch things together once again.
Miami Marlins 2025 Third Base in Review
Offense: Connor Norby (.251/.300/.389, 88 G, 17 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 34 RBI, 8 SB, 18 BB, 90 K, .689 OPS, 90 OPS+, 0.8 bWAR), Graham Pauley (.224/.311/.366, 62 G, 9 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 2 SB, 21 BB, 36 K, .678 OPS, 88 OPS+, 0.7 bWAR), Javier Sanoja (.243/.287/.396, 118 G, 22 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 38 RBI, 6 SB, 19 BB, 41 K, .683 OPS, 87 OPS+, 1.5 bWAR).
Defense (Baseball Savant): Norby (-4 Outs Above Average, 690 Innings, .954 Fielding Percentage, 8 Erros), Pauley (7 OAA, 390 Inn, .985 Fld%, 2 E), Sanoja (0 OAA, 255.2 Inn, .972 Fld%, 2 E).
Season Notes
Norby had the most amount of games played at the position with 88. He led Marlins third basemen with a .689 OPS and 90 OPS+. With a career high in games played, Norby set career highs in hitting stats such as doubles, RBIs and triples. His 26.7 percent strikeout rate was his best.
Pauley had a solid rookie season on a pretty young Marlins team. He was the team's best defensive third baseman and was in the 93rd percentile of outs above average. Pauley showed nice plate discipline with an 11.4 walk percentage.
Sanoja was a rookie as well and had the highest bWAR (1.5) of the three third baseman. He played more positions than third base, but was a solid defender at the hot corner. Sanoja hit for the most power of the three, hitting more doubles and triples than Norby and Pauley.
An Early Look at Third Base in 2026
Unfortunately for the Marlins, there isn't a quick fix on the roster. They'll have to run it back with the players they had last season, and that may not be the worst thing.
Norby was once a highly touted prospect, someone widley considered a top 100 prospect. He's still only 25 with less than a full season of games under his belt. There is still plenty of time for him to develop as Stowers did.
At his best in the minors in 2023, Norby hit 40 doubles, 21 homers and drove in 92 runs while posting an .842 OPS. The bat and the power is still there somewhere, it's just a matter of being able to tap into it. This is by no means a situation where Miami should move on next year.
Pauley and Sanoja have places on this roster, but it doesn't seem like either of them will get enough playing time to take over at third. Instead, the Marlins could look to the minors, where Deyvison De Los Santos has been raking as he waits for his debut.
In 2024, De Los Santos had a monster season, hitting .294 with 40 homers, 120 RBIs and a .914 OPS in 137 games at Double and Triple-A. The power is real for the 22-year-old who is just a step away from the majors. He took a step back in 2025 while dealing with multiple injuries and only hit 12 home runs.
There are swing and miss concerns with De Los Santos, but the power is something that Miami can't ignore. He may not be ready just yet, but expect him up some time in 2026.
If the season were to start today, Norby would be the third baseman and probably will be the favorite heading into 2026. But he hasn't quite closed the opening for that job, so there may be movement there next year.
