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“It starts with the pitching, but the defense plays a big part in that,” McCullough said in early August. “And that is not only guys make the plays that you have the chance to, the positioning comes into it, not giving up extra bases. … “On the defensive side of things, he has seamlessly transitioned over to second base, been outstanding there, showed off his athleticism,” McCullough said of Edwards in early August. “Him and Otto have really played well off of each other. It's nice to have two very athletic defenders in the middle of field that can make the rangy plays.” Added infield coach Tyler Smarslok: “He's always just looking to find outs in big spots that you can go get them. I think for him, it's just been a repertoire for him over the course of his career. And we talk about high-IQ plays all the time, but I think it's something that comes pretty natural for him.” While Stowers split his time at all three outfield positions, he recorded two defensive runs saved (tied for fourth) and -1 outs above average (sixth) across 76 games (541 2/3 innings) in left. His defensive production stemmed in large part from his arm value (81st percentile, 2) and arm strength (88th percentile, 91 mph). Of Stowers’ six assists, five came from left field -- tied for fourth most in the NL. The 23-year-old Sanoja was one of 10 Major Leaguers to appear at seven positions during the 2025 season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and he did so as a rookie. It marked the fifth time in franchise history a Marlin played seven or more field positions in a season. The only spots he didn’t man were right field and catcher. Here is a breakdown of Sanoja's advanced metrics at each spot: First base: 0 DRS (one inning) Second base: 5 DRS, 1 OAA (208 2/3 innings) Third base: 4 DRS, 1 OAA (255 2/3 innings) Shortstop: 0 DRS, -2 OAA (75 innings) Left field: 0 DRS, 0 OAA (156 1/3 innings) Center field: -2 DRS, 0 OAA (79 innings) “To see him at his young age, with his relative inexperience as a professional player, to be a jack of all trades, to fill in at every position, to play above-average defense at every position, that's incredibly hard to do,” Bendix said following the season. “He's not getting consistent reps, right? He's not out there playing a certain position every single day. One day he's at second base, one day he's at third base, one day he's in left field. And that he's so good at each of those positions is a testament to him. That was really fun to see. And it really helps, essentially, our roster, because it allows him to fill in in a lot of different places.”
