Xavier Edwards facts for kids

Xavier James Edwards (born August 9, 1999) is an American professional baseball player. He plays as an infielder for the Miami Marlins in Major League Baseball (MLB). Xavier made his big league debut in 2023.

Early Baseball Days

Edwards grew up in Florida and played baseball in high school. He went to North Broward Preparatory School. In his last year, he was a great hitter. He had a batting average of .406, which means he got a hit in more than 40% of his chances. He also had 16 runs batted in (RBIs), helping his team score runs. Plus, he stole 24 bases, showing how fast he was! He planned to play college baseball at Vanderbilt University.

Starting His Professional Career

Joining the San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres picked Xavier Edwards in the 2018 MLB draft. He was the 38th player chosen overall. He signed with the Padres and started playing in their minor league system.

He began with the AZL Padres team. Soon after, he moved up to the Tri-City Dust Devils. In his first 45 games, he hit very well. He had a batting average of .346 and stole 22 bases.

In 2019, Xavier played for the Fort Wayne TinCaps. He was so good that he was named an All-Star in his league. He kept hitting well, with a .336 batting average. He also had 30 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. Later that year, he moved up to the Lake Elsinore Storm.

After the 2019 season, Xavier was chosen to play for the United States national baseball team. He played in a big international tournament called the 2019 WBSC Premier 12.

Moving to the Tampa Bay Rays

In December 2019, Xavier was part of a big trade. He, along with another player, went to the Tampa Bay Rays. In return, the Padres got two other players. One of the Rays' pitchers, Blake Snell, was surprised by the trade. He later explained his reaction was because he was sad to see his friend, Tommy Pham, leave the team.

Xavier did not play in 2020. This was because the minor league baseball season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, he played for the Montgomery Biscuits. He continued to hit well, with a .302 batting average. He also had 27 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.

Playing for the Miami Marlins

In November 2022, Xavier was traded again. This time, he joined the Miami Marlins. The Marlins added him to their main roster to keep him safe from another draft.

He started the 2023 season playing for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. This is the Marlins' Triple-A team. He played 20 games there, hitting .306 and stealing 7 bases.

On May 2, 2023, Xavier Edwards was called up to the major leagues for the very first time! He made his MLB debut. He played 30 games for the Marlins that year. He hit .295 and stole 5 bases. He even got a hit in his only chance during the playoffs.

Xavier started the 2024 season on the injured list. He had a bacterial infection in his foot. He returned to playing in May 2024. He moved between the Marlins and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp a few times.

On July 28, 2024, Xavier had an amazing game! He hit his first career triple and his first career home run. He also achieved something very rare in baseball: he hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game. He was only the second player in Marlins history to do this! Later, on September 27, he hit three triples in one game. This was the first time a player had done that since 2014.

More to See

• List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle