Meet Miami Marlins first-round draft pick Jacob Berry

With their first pick in the 2022 MLB Draft (No. 6 overall), the Marlins selected Jacob Berry, third baseman from Louisiana State University.

Speaking to the media shortly after the pick was made, Marlins director of amateur scouting DJ Svihlik described Berry as “an extremely determined young man...nobody is gonna outwork him.”

“Simply put, one of the best hitters in the 2022 class. A year removed from anchoring the Arizona Wildcats lineup, Berry transferred to LSU to follow Jay Johnson. Berry was not only arguably the best freshman in college baseball in 2021, you could make the argument he was one of the best players in the country regardless of age. He’s a potential plus hitter with above average power. His optimized swing is allowing the power to play immediately. He’s also got enough speed to be given some credit on the base paths too. He’s not a lumbering guy in the field, and the speed could potentially play in left field at the next level, or a team could give him a shot at third base, a position he’s hardly played at all in college. Some scouts see something similar to a Kyle Schwarber type of profile here at the end of the day. A potential fringe-average left fielder with the ability to move in and play first base as well. Still, questions on his defensive value as a whole persist.” —Prospects Live (ranked No. 16 overall prospect)

“Berry stands in with a semi crouch and very still hands above the shoulders from both sides of the plate. He is very efficient in his timing and load, setting himself up for success prior to the pitch’s arrival. He tends to put more lift on the ball from the left side and does more damage there. Berry has the ability to level off his swing from the right side on fastballs up in the zone, showing the ability to use all fields with more of a gap-to-gap approach. Some evaluators question Berry’s true power from the right side...If there’s any blemish in Berry’s game, it falls on the defensive side. Lacking a true position, Berry may profile best at first base, but his profile also fits as a DH. Known for his high makeup both on and off the field, expect Berry to make the adjustments needed at the next level to carve his path to the big leagues sooner rather than later.” —Baseball America (ranked No. 8 overall prospect)

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“Berry has drawn some comparisons to a switch-hitting version of Andrew Vaughn (the No. 3 choice in 2019) for his ability to hit for power and average while controlling the strike zone. He hammers fastballs and handles breaking balls and changeups well. He has a quality swing and approach from both sides, makes repeated hard contact and shows a propensity for driving the ball in the air...He has below-average speed and average arm strength and he’s rigid at the hot corner, so most scouts believe he’ll have to move elsewhere as a pro. He has looked decent at times in right field but there’s a good chance that he winds up at first base.” —MLB Pipeline (ranked No. 7 overall prospect)

“Berry has plus bat speed and raw power, with an uppercut bat path from both sides of the plate. His right-handed swing is pretty grooved, but still powerful, while his lefty swing is more skillful and dynamic, giving him a potent contact/power blend. Though he does his homer damage almost exclusively to his pull side, Berry slices breaking balls away from him to the opposite field, and most of his non-extra-base hits come that way. He can shorten up and punish inner-third velocity from the left side like few other hitters in the 2022 draft, and he rarely expands the zone...He’s actually a fairly range-y third baseman, as his foot speed allows him to cover a lot of ground, but his hands and arm accuracy are both pretty rough, and cause him to be error-prone. Similar to Kevin Parada, Berry’s bat makes him a stable prospect, but his lack of a defensive home caps his ceiling.” —FanGraphs (ranked No. 8 overall prospect)

Notable draft prospects who the Marlins passed on to take Berry include Brooks Lee, Kevin Parada and Cam Collier.

Welcome to Miami, Jacob!