Jacob Berry is one of top bats in the 2022 MLB Draft. Berry played for Arizona in 2021 and was recognized in many All-American categories. Berry’s .352 average, 70 RBI, and .439 OBP led him to be named Collegiate Baseball National Co-Freshman of the Year, All-American, and a finalist for the college baseball player of the year. As a sophomore, he followed his coach to Louisiana State University and continued to impress. Berry is an athletic 6’0″ and 212 pounds at 21 years old. Berry is anticipated to be selected early because of his talent at the plate and ability to play multiple positions.
Strengths
Berry’s draft profile raves about his hitting. He is a talented switch hitter who has shown maturity at the plate. Berry has a strong sense of how to attack the ball equally from both sides at the college level at a young age. He can drive fastballs deep, and he showed that power with his 17 home runs last season and 15 home runs this season. Berry has also been praised for handling breaking balls and changeups with ease. Notably, his great eye for pitches allowed him to generate 33 walks last season.
However, Berry would much rather make bring-in runs than get a walk, as he led Arizona with 21 multi-RBI games and tied with 28 multi-hit games. Berry is on par with his 2021 season this year but has slightly improved in both average and OBP. There is not much not to like about what Jacob Berry’s draft profile brings regarding hitting. He has shown quality in his game at the plate. He continues to show that he is a powerhouse in back-to-back seasons. Jacob Berry is the total package. A team in the top 10 for picking at the draft could use him. Berry is an almost guaranteed strong hitter to fill a roster one day. Whoever drafts Berry will be lucky to get the chance to help him further develop.
Weaknesses
Although Jacob Berry has shown versatility at both third base and the outfield, this is the area he needs to improve. He is not the star in the field at the plate. He is relatively average across many categories defensively. Although being average is not bad, it is a weaker side of his game. His arm strength, in particular, is not well suited for third base or the outfield, according to scouts. A transition to first base might happen sometime in his career. His offensive assets would be better suited there than in the hot corner. Baseball teams have utilized this tactic often. A great example of this in the big leagues is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays transitioning from third to first.
MLB Comparison
Jacob Berry could have baseball fans thinking he could be one of the most intimidating switch hitters in the game. A comparison would be someone like Josh Bell. Bell is a first baseman, which Berry will most likely become. Furthermore, Berry shows a lot of similarities to Bell. He hits for average and OBP like Bell and is an RBI machine. Berry has already demonstrated his consistency, which Bell has continued to do throughout his career. Both players are impactful for their team because of their bat-to-ball talent.
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Players Mentioned:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Josh Bell
