Berry delivers on both sides of the ball in Fall League

MESA, Ariz. – The Marlins drafted Jacob Berry sixth overall in 2022 and signed him for $6 million because he was arguably the best all-around offensive player in the college crop. But after batting .370/.464/.630 with a 9 percent strikeout rate as a Louisiana State sophomore, he hit just .233/.284/.388 with a 21 percent whiff rate in his first full season as a pro.

Berry was making progress before his regular season abruptly ended when he bruised his right foot while trying to catch a foul ball in late August. In order to regain some lost at-bats and build some more positive momentum heading into 2024, the No. 4 Marlins prospect joined the Arizona Fall League’s Peoria Javelinas.

So far, so good. Berry starred in his second game of the Fall League, collecting three hits and a walk and turning in four nice defensive plays at third base in an 11-5 win over the Mesa Solar Sox.

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"I’m really happy to be here,” Berry said. “I didn’t finish the year as I wanted, got a little banged up, but I’m happy to be back and excited to be playing baseball again, as opposed to being at home.”

The switch-hitter displayed an impressive combination of bat-to-ball skills, power and patience at LSU. Some teams had concerns about his pedestrian exit velocities in college, but no one expected him to struggle to make contact. Then he batted just .171/.204/.288 with a 27 percent strikeout rate the first two months of this season.

Berry said his early-season slump resulted from having to adjust to pro ball and then trying to do too much. He thinks the adversity will help him in the long run, and he did rebound to hit .264/.323/.440 and cut his whiff rate to 17 percent over the next three months before his foot injury. He boosted his OPS from .647 in High-A to .743 in Double-A.

“I just didn’t get off to the start I wanted in High-A,” Berry said. “But after the first month-and-a-half, two months, I kind of started playing a little bit better and playing to my normal standards. I just tried to put one good day in front of another, not trying to do too much.

“I think that’s the reason I played better as the year went along and I think you saw that when I got to Double-A. The game slowed down, the pitchers were a little bit more around the zone and I just tried to stack one good day after another. You make adjustments, but it was just kind of settling down and getting back to what got me here.”

Though Berry is known most for his offensive ability, he also is determined to prove he can stick at third base. Many evaluators believe he has below-average quickness and average arm strength that will dictate a move to first, but he doesn’t agree. He made multiple bang-bang plays against Mesa and displayed solid arm strength.

“I want to be a well-rounded player,” Berry said. “That’s something I was raised to be from high school to college to now, and I just want to become a more well-rounded player and help my team win. There’s other facets I can help with and not just in the batter’s box.”

Berry was part of a Javelinas offensive attack that parlayed 10 hits and seven walks into 11 runs. Catcher Harry Ford (SEA No. 2) and left fielder Graham Pauley (SD No. 11) both homered, and Peoria also benefited from what might wind up being the craziest play of the AFL season.

With no score and the bases loaded in the top of the fourth, shortstop Carson Williams (TB No. 2) lined what looked like an innocent two-run single. Mesa right fielder Christian Franklin (CHC No. 30) tried to nail the second runner at the plate but airmailed his throw well over the head of catcher Miguel Palma (HOU No. 17).

That error allowed a third run to score and Williams to advance to third base. Solar Sox pitcher Nick Hull (Cubs) backed up the play at the plate and threw wildly back to Palma, with the ball deflecting down the third-base line. Williams never broke stride and raced home with a fourth run.

Javelinas right-hander Ike Buxton (Marlins) rode his power sinker to six strikeouts while allowing one run in four innings. First baseman Zach Dezenzo (HOU No. 5) tagged him for a long home run in the fourth, and center fielder Kevin Alcántara (CHC No. 4) also homered for the Solar Sox.