The Miami Marlins drafted 3B/OF Jacob Berry out of LSU with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Berry, 21, is a switch-hitter who was an absolute stud at Louisiana University this past season, having a .370 BA, .464 OBP (No. 4 in the SEC), .630 SLG, and a 1.094 OPS.
Berry is also a very disciplined hitter at the plate, with more walks (27) than K’s (22) in 208 at bats this past season. For a Marlins team that really struggles with strikeouts, Berry will help please many Marlins fans.
Many concerns arise when discussing Berry’s defense. However, many scouts say that Berry has the best pure hitting tools in the entire draft class. So it is likely that Miami can work around his defensive concerns. Some scouts say that he can play first base or right field.
Simply, Miami needs more hitting in their farm system, and Berry will supply just that; he is very intriguing at the next level.
The Marlins also drafted 18-year-old right-handed pitcher Jacob Miller from Liberty Union High School (OH) with the 46th overall pick.
Miller was the Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year this past season. Per MLB Pipeline’s scouting report, Miller’s fastball hit 97 mph but sits at 91-95. Miller also has a 78-82 mph curveball and 83-87 mph slider while working on a mid-80s changeup.
In three years of high school baseball, Miller struck out 382 batters in 172 innings. Miller’s best year of baseball was during his senior year, recording a 9-1 record and 133 strikeouts in 57 innings.
The Louisville commit is now headed to a stacked, young pitching group in Miami that includes Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Sixto Sanchez, Jack Eder, Trevor Rogers, Edward Cabrera, and Max Meyer.
New Marlins RHP Jacob Miller: “I’ll be in Miami now, so I gotta have a little drip” pic.twitter.com/anpvTTVVwY
— Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) July 18, 2022