Six-Year-Old Cancer Warrior throws First Pitch at Marlins Spring Training Game

As the Miami Marlins prepared to take on the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium this past Sunday, there was a noticeable roar from the crowd. These loud cheers were for a special individual donning a Marlins jersey for the first time.

The grand ovation was for Lucas Salazar, an extremely brave 6-year-old battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Two years ago, Lucas began experiencing bruising all over his body. What was only supposed to be a trip to the pediatrician turned into a two-month stay in the hospital and a cancer diagnosis that he’s been fighting ever since.

With Lucas’ birthday a day before the Marlins-Cardinals game on March 10, throwing out the first pitch was a perfect way to culminate the weekend’s celebrations.

Sporting a Marlins jersey on top of a Sonic the Hedgehog costume, Lucas darted to the pitcher’s mound as if his outfit had given him superpowers. Some people throwing out first pitches experience stage fright, occasionally choosing to stand in front of the mound, but not Lucas.

He calmly stepped up to the bump and without any hesitation, delivered a heater to Marlins pitcher Devin Smeltzer, who is a pediatric cancer survivor.

“At first, he kind of half jogged, but then the fans started cheering, so he took off sprinting,” said Smeltzer. “I would bet anything that he hasn’t been able to move that fast in a long time with how he’s been feeling. It was just so cool to see the smile on his face when he got up there and ripped the ball.”

Smeltzer can relate and speak to Lucas’ battle better than most people. When Smeltzer was 9 years old, he was diagnosed with pelvic rhabdomyosarcoma.

“I met a lot of really cool people when I was sick, but having conversations with other survivors gives you this sense of hope that there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” said Smeltzer, who gave Lucas an autographed ball and pennant with some words of encouragement.

After electrifying the crowd with his first pitch, Lucas made his way through the Marlins dugout, giving players and staff high fives and fist bumps.

He then headed to watch the game from the stands, where he was rightfully treated as a star by fans. As they gave him more high fives and fist bumps, the fans complimented Lucas on his first pitch and told him to keep fighting.

It was an all-around special day for someone who was more than deserving of getting to enjoy one.

“The most important thing and the priority is Lucas’ happiness. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for him,” said Lucas’ mom through a translator. “As a parent, it was priceless to see him this happy.”

His dad added through a translator, “It was an amazing experience and thing to witness. Not everyone gets to have the experience of being out there on a Major League field and throwing out the first pitch. When he grows up, he’ll always be able to look back on this and see what he accomplished.”

Lucas and his family are not the only ones who will reflect on this meaningful day years from now.

“With the platform that I’ve been blessed with from being able to play baseball at the highest level, it’s really cool to have this impact on kids and their families to show that not only is there light at the end of the tunnel, but also, the ceiling is as high as you want it to be,” said Smeltzer. “I look through my career, and these interactions have just as much of an impact, if not more, on me than it does the kids.”