PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Just as Xavier Isaac leaves his mark on a baseball, baseball has left a mark on him.
“My whole arm goes all the way up,” Issac said as he shows off his tattoos. “I have Manny Ramirez on my shoulder, I have Babe Ruth on my shoulder.”
This 20-year-old first baseman was somewhat of a surprising first-round pick when the Tampa Bay Rays took him 29th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft.
“I’ve always been doubted already. You know, ‘Why are we picking a first baseman in the first round?’” he said. “I like getting doubted. It’s a high ceiling. I can only get better. I knew getting into that season, I was just getting my body right and performing how I knew I could. Everybody is starting to turn their heads and see who I am.”
And who he is?
He's a motivated lefty with tremendous raw power who has developed a home run celebration to remind himself of those doubters.
“Just sleeping. Right when I get around third base, I just hit them with the sleep,” Isaac said as he laid his head onto his hands. "Everybody is sleeping on me a little bit. I’m going to ride with it this whole year.”
Isaac performed at a high-level last season, batting .285 with 19 home runs and even swipinh 12 bases between Single-A and High-A.
But he wants to be known for more than just offense.
“Defense, I’m really trying to win a Gold Glove this year,” he said. “That’s one of my goals this year.”
Goals that would not be possible without his parents.
“Very blessed. I can’t thank my family enough. It’s all because of my family,” Isaac said. “They put me out into the showcases, put my name out there. That’s why I ended up getting drafted. It’s all the credit to my mom and dad pretty much.”
Isaac will begin the season in Double-A Montgomery or High-A Bowling Green when the minor league players break from camp.
