Xavier

Edwards

Edwards got the scoring started with a two-run single in the third inning and scored on a single by Otto Lopez. He later drove in his third run with a base hit in the fifth before scoring his second run. The 26-year-old second baseman is hitting .287/.367/.394 with six homers, 54 runs scored, 44 RBI, and 18 steals across 493 plate appearances.

The Red Sox seem to prefer Otto Lopez and prefer to add a shortstop at the deadline, but Red Sox assistant general manager Taylor Smith was previously with the Rays and was instrumental in acquiring Xavier Edwards from them previously. Edwards lacks the arm to play shortstop, but he has played there in the past and could help until Trevor Story or Marcelo Mayer are back from their injuries. Edwards is hitting .292/.373/.401 this season with six home runs, 18 steals, and elite contact metrics at the plate. He’d also likely cost less to acquire than Otto Lopez.

Edwards’ two RBI came on a game-tying single in the seventh. Miami was down 6-0 before scoring eight unanswered runs to sweep the Phillies. The comeback is even more notable considering they had lost 12 straight entering the series. Edwards hasn’t hit as well lately as he did earlier in the year, but a high batting average with speed and non-zero power has been a season-long win for fantasy managers, especially at a weak position. His underlying metrics suggest he’s taken a real step forward in 2026.

Edwards found himself back at second base and hitting cleanup after a brief one-game absence due to left thumb soreness. It doesn’t appear to be a significant concern moving forward.

It appears to just be a routine day off for the young infielder, who has struggled to a .192/.286/.192 line through his first 15 games of June. Javier Sanoja is filling in at second base against RHP Landen Roupp.

Edwards secured one of the four thefts Miami picked up on the bases. The Marlins became the first team to have four players with 10 or more stolen bases this season. Edwards, Otto Lopez, Jakob Marsee, and Esteury Ruiz make up the quartet. The story of Edwards’ season, however, has been what he’s done as a hitter. He has career highs in bat speed, barrel rate, strikeout rate, walk rate, and nearly all of his quality-of-contact metrics.

Edwards also drew a walk. The 26-year-old combined with Otto Lopez to go 7-for-7 with four stolen bases, but the rest of the Miami lineup did nothing; a pretty common theme thus far in 2026. He’s now up to eight stolen bases while slashing .316/.396/.481. Quietly, Edwards and Lopez has been as good — if not better — than any double-play combination in the sport.

Edwards has five homers in 203 plate appearances this season after entering the year with four in 1,006 career plate appearances. It doesn’t seem like a fluke, either, as he has 10 barrels and a solid 37 percent hard-hit rate. It’s just too bad he’s cut back on the steal attempts. He’s currently 6-for-8 there. In 2024, he was 31-for-35 in 70 games, and he was 27-for-34 in 139 games last season.

Edwards, who slugged his third round-tripper of the season during Friday’s series opener, seems to be Miami’s preferred top-of-the-order option with Otto Lopez, Liam Hicks and Kyle Stowers rounding out the heart of the order. The 26-year-old’s speed makes him an interesting leadoff option and should translate into a few extra stolen base opportunities moving forward.

Edwards wasted little time putting the Marlins on the scoreboard on Friday. He got a hold of a middle-high fastball from Foster Griffin on the fifth pitch of his leadoff at-bat, and promptly discarded it 420 feet into deep left center to give the Marlins their first run of the day. Edwards’ homer would give the Marlins one of their two runs on the night, as Griffin stifled the Fish for much of the night on his way to one of his best outings of the season. Edwards continues to swing a hot bat and is slashing .318/.400/.591 in his last seven games.