The Marlins boast three top-ten hitters, proving contact and consistency can still dominate baseball's evolving landscape.
The Miami Marlins are making batting averages sexy again.
As the first month of the 2026 season comes to a close, the Marlins have three hitters among the National League’s top 10 in batting average, entering Monday’s road game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Only the Atlanta Braves have two hitters in the top 10.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said during a press conference on April 21 before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals that while the batting average is “not as sexy of a stat as it once was” — the loanDepot park video replaced displaying player BA with OPS — having high averages is still important.
“Getting hits in the big leagues is hard,” McCullough said. “It’s probably never been harder just to get a base hit than it is right now. For us, it’s an important thing. You make a lot of contact.”
Marlins second baseman Xavier Edwards leads the National League with a .343 batting average. He has played in every game for the Marlins this season and is tied for second in the NL in hits with 36 over 28 games.
McCullough not only sees Edwards’ season as not only reminiscent of his 2024 breakout (.328 in 70 games) before his tenure, but also as an improvement.
“He’s not selling out for anything. He’s in a really good place with his swing, his contact points, where he’s firing at,” McCullough said. “We’ve seen him drive some balls with authority a little differently than in the past.”
The other two Marlins on the list are shortstop Otto Lopez and catcher Liam Hicks, who are both tied for seventh in the NL with a .314 batting average. Lopez previously batted .270 during his rookie year in 2024 and .246 with 15 home runs and 77 RBI last year.
Hicks put up light numbers as a rookie last year but McCullough noted that Hicks “is physically a different individual” this year and because of his offseason improvements, “he’s hitting the ball much more.”
“Liam’s a good hitter,” McCullough said. “He has all the ingredients, the ability to control the strike zone, make a ton of contact, and use the whole field.”
What’s astounding about this trio is that all three of them arrived in Miami as low-key acquisitions. Edwards was a throw-in in a trade with Tampa Bay for reliever JT Chargois leading up to the 2023 season. Lopez was a waiver claim in 2024, and Hicks was a Rule 5 draft pick leading up to last season.
“They all make a ton of contact and they have the ability to hit the ball to all fields,” McCullough said. “To collect a lot of hits, though batting average isn’t looked at how it used to be. But I think guys who hit for high average, generally I do think you have to be able to hit the ball at all fields.”
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!