Javier Sanoja's astonishing positional flexibility, from every infield spot and even pitcher, is his ticket, but can his bat keep pace for the Marlins?
Miami Marlins utility player Javier Sanoja is 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds.
Not exactly an ideal build for a professional baseball player.
But as the cliche goes, it's about the fight in the dog.
As a teenager, Sanoja impressed the Marlins enough to sign on as an international free agent.
At 21, he made it to the majors, and at 22, he became one of Miami's regulars, playing in 118 games.
Now, at 23 and entering his second full big-league season, Sanoja is at the point in his career where his role should be expanding.
Instead, it looks like the opposite is happening.
Sanoja is the latest subject of "Getting to Know the Fish," a Marlins Roundtable series profiling each Miami player.
Height: 5-foot-7
Weight: 150 pounds
Hometown: Maracay, Venezuela
Years in the Bigs: 2
Years with the Marlins: 2
Last Year: Sanoja played, well, everywhere for the Marlins -- at third base (41 games), left field (35), second base (34), center field (14), shortstop (10), first base (one), designated hitter (one), and even eight games on the mound, where he had a 16.39 ERA over 9.1 innings.
According to Elias Sports, Sanoja was one of 10 players in baseball to play seven or more positions in 2025.
His defense was good enough to earn him a Gold Glove for his performance as a utility player.
Sanoja may seem like a jack of all trades, but he hasn't mastered the bat.
He ended 2025 with a .243/.287/.396 slashline, and his OPS+ of 87 was 13 points below the league average.
Because of his offense, it's unlikely Sanoja will be a regular for Miami in 2026.
Outlook: The most realistic way for Sanoja to crack the Marlins lineup appears to be third base. Miami doesn't have a proven third baseman on the roster, with projected starter Connor Norby having yet to play a full season. The Marlins still have time to sign a free agent to play third, but if not, Norby is slated to be the guy.
In any case, Sanoja's versatility makes him an asset, and it's likely the Marlins will need him at some point.
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