Baseball’s top middle-infield duo this season probably isn’t one that would have come to mind at the start of 2026.
It’s not the D-backs’ Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo. Or the Cubs’ Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson. Or the Mets’ Francisco Lindor and Marcus Semien.
Nor is it the Reds’ Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain. Or the Astros’ Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña. Or the Phillies’ Trea Turner and Bryson Stott.
It’s the Marlins’ Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez , and it’s not particularly close.
All stats below are through Sunday.
Most combined WAR for two middle-infield teammates, 2026 Per FanGraphs
1.
Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez, Marlins: 4.1 2.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Michael Massey, Royals: 3.4 3.
Brandon Lowe and Konnor Griffin, Pirates: 3.2 4.
Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth, White Sox: 3.0 5-T.
Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain, Reds: 2.9 5-T.
Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson, Cubs: 2.9
To put it another way, only 10 middle infielders across the Majors have produced at least 2 fWAR this season. The Marlins have two of them.
What makes the whole thing even more amazing is just how similar Edwards and Lopez are -- and how this pairing came to be.
The two are cut from the same cloth, both relatively undersized players with solid speed, compact swings and strong bat-to-ball skills.
Yet neither was acquired with any grand plan in mind.
In fact, each joined the Marlins under different regimes -- Edwards under former GM Kim Ng and Lopez under current president of baseball operations Peter Bendix -- both as castoffs from other organizations.
Edwards was taken 38th overall in the 2018 Draft by the Padres before being traded to the Rays in the '19 deal that sent Tommy Pham and Jake Cronenworth to San Diego.
After he posted a .678 OPS at Triple-A in 2022, Tampa Bay decided he wasn't worth a 40-man roster spot and shipped him to Miami alongside veteran reliever JT Chargois for two low-level Minor Leaguers that November.
Lopez arrived in Miami in much the same way -- as an afterthought.
The Marlins claimed him off waivers from the Giants in April 2024, less than two months after San Francisco had acquired him from Toronto for cash.
The two first played together in 2024, but the pairing was usually reversed, with Edwards at shortstop and Lopez at second.
That continued into 2025, but the Marlins used Lopez at shortstop when Edwards went on the injured list with a back injury last May and shifted Edwards to second base full time after he returned.
Playing Edwards at the keystone has been a stronger defensive fit for Miami, as he has recorded +11 Outs Above Average at second base compared to -17 OAA at shortstop during his career.
While Lopez has been much better at second base, too, he’s at least a serviceable defensive shortstop, posting +2 OAA at the position since last year.
Of course, the defensive reshuffling is only part of the equation. Both also have taken significant steps forward at the plate in 2026.
Largest increase in wOBA , 2025 to ’ 26 Among 187 qualifying hitters
1.
Jordan Walker, Cardinals: +.158 2.
Nathaniel Lowe, Reds: +.084 3.
Casey Schmitt, Giants: +.080 4.
Ryan Jeffers, Twins: +.079 5-T.
Xavier Edwards, Marlins: +.078 5-T.
Otto Lopez, Marlins: +.078
Edwards in particular has made serious strides to become a more well-rounded offensive force.
Already an excellent contact hitter who batted .298 across 2023-25, Edwards has improved his plate discipline this season , dropping his chase rate by 4.7 points and increasing his walk rate by 3.9 points.
On top of that, he’s continued to hit for a high average while lowering his strikeout rate to a career-best 11.8%. He’s reaching base at a .395 clip, up from .358 previously.
He’s also added more pop. At 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, Edwards is never going to be an elite power bat, but he already has 11 barrels and six homers this season after producing just eight barrels and four home runs across 2024-25 combined.