Miami Marlins star Xavier Edwards has Elly De La Cruz-type upside as a base stealer

The development of Xavier Edwards will be one of the most interesting storylines for the 2025 Miami Marlins. While Miami's major league roster will mostly consist of developing players, Edwards, who is only 25 years old, is one of the club's more proven hitters.

The Marlins' speedy infielder has been electric on the base paths in his first two seasons. In 2023, he chipped in five steals in 78 at-bats. His true breakout came last season when the speedster recorded 31 steals across just 265 at-bats.

For context, Cincinnati Reds' superstar Elly De La Cruz led all of baseball with 67 steals last season. However, DLC posted this impressive total in 618 total at-bats.

Edwards' production in South Beach is incredible when you consider he had 42% fewer opportunities than De La Cruz. If his pace continued, "X" would have posted 62 steals in twice as many at-bats (530). If the two had both recorded the same number of plate appearances, the numbers indicate that Edwards had a path to supplant the league's top base stealer.

Plate appearances should not be an issue for Edwards in 2025. He is among the most important players in Miami's lineup and should have no trouble recording everyday at-bats.

The math above does not include a fatigue factor. It stands to reason that double the attempts will cause fatigue and wear-and-tear. De La Cruz has proven himself across the full grind of an MLB season. Edwards' projections are partly hypothetical.

It is also helpful to understand that the Reds' star ranked in the 100th percentile as the premier speedster in baseball. No one had faster straight-line speed metrics on the base paths.

Edwards, meanwhile, ranked in the 78th sprint speed percentile. While there is significantly more to base stealing than pure speed, this is one noticeable factor in De La Cruz's favor.

However, with the sample size we have in place, Edwards has a real opportunity to use his prime skill to carve out a place in a rich Miami Marlins' history. If he surpasses the 40-steal mark, he will tie with Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio for 15th on the franchise's all-time list. Fifty steals would place him among greats like Luis Castillo and Hanley Ramirez and tie him for 10th in Marlins' history. Stealing 60 bags would guarantee X a spot in the top four, joining greats like Juan Pierre, Dee Gordon, and Castillo.

And, if Edwards were to reach his true ceiling and have a De La Cruz-like campaign, he would unseat Pierre's 65 steals (in 2003) and become the new franchise leader. This is a lofty task. But well inside the realm of possibility.

The sky truly is the limit for Xavier Edwards' base-stealing capabilities.