JUPITER, Fla. – Marlins Gold Glove-winning utility player Javier Sanoja returned to big league camp in style on Friday afternoon, sporting his Venezuela jersey, World Baseball Classic championship cap and gold medal. This week has been a whirlwind for Sanoja, who stole a base and scored the winning run as a pinch-runner in Venezuela’s 3-2 upset over the United States in Tuesday night’s World Baseball Classic final at loanDepot park. “I'm saving a lot of stuff that I have been taking from these moments,” Sanoja said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “The jersey, I'm not going to wash it. Just going to make sure that my son can see all these little things, make history, and I'll save it for him so he can see it.” Sanoja received a hero’s welcome back to the clubhouse, where Venezuelan flags flanked his locker. Teammates Sandy Alcantara and Jakob Marsee, who competed for the Dominican Republic and Italy, respectively, asked to hold or try on the medal. |
Following Sanoja’s Instagram account this week has been a fun ride – from celebratory footage near his mural in his hometown of Maracay to the aftermath of partying in Miami. If Sanoja wasn’t already, he’ll be a household name back home. As things calmed down at the ballpark around 3 a.m., Sanoja called his mother, Yelitza, in Venezuela. After all, she played a pivotal role in helping her son fall in love with the game as a child. Turns out mom was busy celebrating. When Sanoja finally made it back to the team hotel, he tried again, and Yelitza was still celebrating. “They were all packed watching the game, but when we won, it just was mayhem,” Sanoja said. “It's been incredible for me for the last 48 hours. When you have a national feeling of everybody just enjoying this, it really fills my heart.” Now it’s back to work for Sanoja. Sanoja kept his Venezuela jersey on while wearing his Marlins home pants and Spring Training cap for batting practice ahead of his return to Grapefruit League action on Friday night. He spent time chatting around the turtle with Christopher Morel and hitting coach Pedro Guerrero. |
“I was incredibly excited for him to be a part of something historic for Team Venezuela and that country,” said manager Clayton McCullough, who threw BP to Sanoja. “He brought the energy and all the things that we knew he had, and then on cue, not getting a whole lot of regular opportunity, but in a moment where it was really needed to change a game, Javy was ready for that moment. “I'm sure [manager] Omar [López] recognized that Javy is just someone who's always ready, and [he] had enough confidence to put him into that spot, steal a big base, score the go-ahead run. That just kind of sums up Javy, that he's an incredible team player. And then when there's a moment that he's called upon, he's ready to go make his mark.” After capturing the championship, Sanoja wants to experience that feeling again with the Marlins. Like Venezuela in the Classic, Miami will be an underdog this season. “I want to bring this to the clubhouse, to all my teammates,” Sanoja said. “I feel that we have a commitment to the city, and then last year, we showed that we can do it. I want to make a playoff with this group of guys, and just share that joy with all of them.” |
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Robby Snelling, MLB Pipeline’s No. 39 overall prospect, received his 2025 Minor League Rawlings Gold Glove Award prior to Monday’s game. In 136 innings between Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Jacksonville, Snelling didn’t commit an error and opposing baserunners were caught stealing at a 68 percent rate. “That's a very underrated aspect of things,” Snelling said. “Pitchers are athletes. You always hear guys say, ‘Let the athletes take care of it,’ talking about the fielders and stuff, but pitchers are really good athletes, too. … I think it was a combo of I had 17 opportunities and executed on those, but I also threw strikes and controlled the running game really well. “If you can mend those two things together, you're going to be in a pretty successful spot, and that's what I'm aiming for every year. It's preached every single Spring Training. We do so many pickoff drills and rundown drills and controlling the run game.” |
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Many organizations decided to have alumni serve as honorary coaches for Spring Breakout, and the Marlins were no different. Jeff Conine managed Marlins prospects against the Astros prospects on Thursday afternoon at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, with director of Minor League operations Hector Crespo acting as bench coach. “It was probably about 10 days ago, maybe two weeks, and they said, ‘Hey, we want you to manage them,’” Conine recalled. “‘Like what? Manage?’ And my wife is like, ‘You've got to do it. I mean, why not?’ I said, ‘Do I have some help? Are there going to be a lot of people there to help me out?’ ‘Yeah, you're covered.’ Just to get in here and be able to talk to these guys and lead them a little bit and see it from this side is a little different. But I had a good time.” At one point, Marlins prospects led, 6-1, but the pitchers combined for 18 walks as the Astros walked them off, 7-6. Would Conine consider managing in the future? “No, this is a one and done, unless they ask me next year,” Conine said. “I'll do it again next year.” |
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