Jacob Berry

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #10 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Berry was one of the top college hitters in two seasons split between Arizona and Louisiana State. He hit .352 with 17 home runs as a freshman and earned an invitation to USA Baseball’s Collegiate national Team. Berry followed head coach Jay Johnson to LSU in 2022 and had similar success in the Southeastern Conference, hitting .370 with 15 home runs. The Marlins drafted him sixth overall in the 2022 and signed him for $6 million. Through two professional seasons, Berry has not had the same success as he did collegiately. In 144 games, he has hit just 12 home runs and has seen his approach and bat-to-ball skills take a step back.
  
  Scouting Report: Berry has a simple setup in the box with a slight load and small stride. He has some physicality in his lower half, and there is minimal unnecessary movement in his swing. The switch-hitting Berry does a nice job, particularly from the right side, in creating leverage in his swing and getting the ball in the air. He hit .275/.300/.517 with four of his nine home runs in 103 plate appearances batting righthanded in 2023. He has present power to his pull side, but his hit tool will need refining in order to maximize his offensive upside. In 2023 he struck out at a 22% clip and struggled mightily to pick up offspeed offerings. Berry was susceptible to expanding the strike zone and his swing decisions lacked polish. He is both a below-average runner and below-average defender at third base. He faces a likely future at first base.
  
  The Future: Berry figures to start the 2024 season at Double-A Pensacola, where he will have an opportunity to earn a promotion to Triple-A by the end of the year. His major league debut is unlikely to occur before the 2025 season. As things stand, he will likely be a bench option.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 35 | Arm: 40
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #3 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: After a standout freshman campaign at Arizona, Berry followed his head coach Jay Johnson and transferred to Louisiana State. In the higher-profile Southeastern Conference, Berry continued to mash. He finished with a .370 average and an OPS of 1.094 to go along with 15 home runs. He made tons of contact, too, and ended the year with more walks (27) than strikeouts (22). Berry's offensive potential was enough for the Marlins to draft him sixth overall and sign him for an even $6 million. He reached Low-A Jupiter in his pro debut.
  
  Scouting Report: Nearly all of Berry's value lies with his combination of hitting ability, power and plate discipline. The switch-hitter historically makes more impact from the left side, though he had far more success against southpaws in his brief pro debut. In fact, his two home runs against lefties as a pro were one more than he had during the entirety of his draft year at LSU. Berry was also lauded as an amateur for his ability to vary his approach, specifically when it came to going gap-to-gap against elevated fastballs. As a pro, there was some concern about the length of his swing and how it would translate as he rose through the ranks. Defensively, his lack of twitch will likely require a move to first base, though he didn't get any reps at the position at either of his two minor league stops. He's a below-average runner with a throwing arm that grades as a tick below-average as well. Neither of those traits suggests a player who can stick at third base.
  
  The Future: After warming up at the lower levels, Berry should start 2022 at High-A Beloit, where he'll be challenged both by the colder climate early in the season and the advanced pitching. His ceiling is a slugger either at first base or DH.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 35. Arm: 45

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #8 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Louisiana State Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21.2
  BA Grade: 55/High
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 35 | Arm: 45
  Berry is a dynamic switch-hitter who should come off the draft board quickly in July. Atop the batting average leaderboard in SEC play, Berry’s Pac-12 dominance at Arizona carried over to the SEC after making the jump from Tucson to Baton Rouge alongside current LSU skipper, Jay Johnson. Analytics departments will appreciate Berry’s plate discipline, as he’s walked more times than he’s struck out. 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, as he has notched just one homer from that side of the box this spring. However, what stands out is his ability to hit. His maturity at the plate projects to carry over to the next level, as the strong-framed 6-foot, 212-pound slugger has proven himself in two high-powered conferences. 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.
• Ranked #219 prospect in 2020 draft
  Four Corners area scouts didn’t get too many looks at Berry before the Arizona high school season was shut down, but the switch-hitting third baseman made good use of his limited game action to move up draft boards. The strong and athletic Berry has an aggressive swing with plus bat speed, consistently registering good exit velocities. He projects as an above-average hitter with at least average power, with a solid approach at the plate. He needs to get better on defense at the hot corner but has the makeup and work ethic to continue making strides. He’s a tick below-average defender now with an average or better arm. Berry is no more than a fringe-average runner but is aggressive on the bases. In addition to his makeup, talent evaluators see his ability to handle velocity as a sign that his bat could play up at the next level. While he’s become a favorite of scouts, the consensus is that Berry will be a tough sign and likely winds up on campus at Arizona.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: After a standout freshman campaign at Arizona, Berry followed his head coach Jay Johnson and transferred to Louisiana State. In the higher-profile Southeastern Conference, Berry continued to mash. He finished with a .370 average and an OPS of 1.094 to go along with 15 home runs. He made tons of contact, too, and ended the year with more walks (27) than strikeouts (22). Berry's offensive potential was enough for the Marlins to draft him sixth overall and sign him for an even $6 million. He reached Low-A Jupiter in his pro debut.
  
  Scouting Report: Nearly all of Berry's value lies with his combination of hitting ability, power and plate discipline. The switch-hitter historically makes more impact from the left side, though he had far more success against southpaws in his brief pro debut. In fact, his two home runs against lefties as a pro were one more than he had during the entirety of his draft year at LSU. Berry was also lauded as an amateur for his ability to vary his approach, specifically when it came to going gap-to-gap against elevated fastballs. As a pro, there was some concern about the length of his swing and how it would translate as he rose through the ranks. Defensively, his lack of twitch will likely require a move to first base, though he didn't get any reps at the position at either of his two minor league stops. He's a below-average runner with a throwing arm that grades as a tick below-average as well. Neither of those traits suggests a player who can stick at third base.
  
  The Future: After warming up at the lower levels, Berry should start 2022 at High-A Beloit, where he'll be challenged both by the colder climate early in the season and the advanced pitching. His ceiling is a slugger either at first base or DH.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 35. Arm: 45
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: After a standout freshman campaign at Arizona, Berry followed his head coach Jay Johnson and transferred to Louisiana State. In the higher-profile Southeastern Conference, Berry continued to mash. He finished with a .370 average and an OPS of 1.094 to go along with 15 home runs. He made tons of contact, too, and ended the year with more walks (27) than strikeouts (22). Berry's offensive potential was enough for the Marlins to draft him sixth overall and sign him for an even $6 million. He reached Low-A Jupiter in his pro debut.
  
  Scouting Report: Nearly all of Berry's value lies with his combination of hitting ability, power and plate discipline. The switch-hitter historically makes more impact from the left side, though he had far more success against southpaws in his brief pro debut. In fact, his two home runs against lefties as a pro were one more than he had during the entirety of his draft year at LSU. Berry was also lauded as an amateur for his ability to vary his approach, specifically when it came to going gap-to-gap against elevated fastballs. As a pro, there was some concern about the length of his swing and how it would translate as he rose through the ranks. Defensively, his lack of twitch will likely require a move to first base, though he didn't get any reps at the position at either of his two minor league stops. He's a below-average runner with a throwing arm that grades as a tick below-average as well. Neither of those traits suggests a player who can stick at third base.
  
  The Future: After warming up at the lower levels, Berry should start 2022 at High-A Beloit, where he'll be challenged both by the colder climate early in the season and the advanced pitching. His ceiling is a slugger either at first base or DH.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 60. Speed: 40. Fielding: 35. Arm: 45
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  August Update: Berry is a dynamic switch-hitter who should come off the draft board quickly in July. Atop the batting average leaderboard in SEC play, Berry&#39s Pac-12 dominance at Arizona carried over to the SEC after making the jump from Tucson to Baton Rouge alongside current LSU skipper, Jay Johnson. Analytics departments will appreciate Berry&#39s plate discipline, as he&#39s walked more times than he&#39s struck out. 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&#39s 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&#39s true power from the right side, as he has notched just one homer from that side of the box this spring. However, what stands out is his ability to hit. His maturity at the plate projects to carry over to the next level, as the strong-framed 6-foot, 212-pound slugger has proven himself in two high-powered conferences. If there&#39s any blemish in Berry&#39s 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.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 60. Run: 40. Field: 35. Arm: 45.