Jacob Berry Selected in First-Round of 2022 MLB Draft

Berry became the first SEC player taken off the board, joins long list of Tigers at next level

LSU third baseman/outfielder Jacob Berry came off the board early in the 2022 MLB Draft after being selected No. 6 overall by the Miami Marlins. Berry became the first Tiger selected in the 1st round since 2017, where Alex Lange was selected by the Chicago Cubs.

Berry, a product of Queen Creek, Ariz., was a 2022 Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, a second-team All-America performer and second-team All-SEC selection as he batted a team-high .370 with nine doubles, 15 homers, 48 RBI and 47 runs.

Berry hit .400 (38-for-95) in LSU’s SEC regular-season games with three doubles, five homers, 20 RBI and 18 runs.

With the sixth overall pick, the @Marlins select @LSUbaseball third baseman/outfielder Jacob Berry, No. 7 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.

Watch live: https://t.co/42SJUa2odY pic.twitter.com/hfn3xhvzE4

— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 17, 2022

With some scouts saying Berry has the best pure hitting tools in the entire draft class, it’s his combination of power and contact that make him so lethal when at the plate. At the end of the 2022 regular season, he had the fewest strikeouts of any player with 15 or more home runs.

After transferring from Arizona to LSU, Berry saw immediate improvement and success, specifically when at bat, cutting his strikeout rate significantly.

Breaking his finger late in the season, Berry was forced to hit right-handed for the final seven games of the year. Though it didn’t halt his success, hitting .321 with a double. His versatility at the plate paired with incredible ability to make contact on virtually any pitch is what has Berry so intriguing at the next level.

Berry joins a long list of LSU Tigers at the next level as he starts the next chapter of his baseball career as a member of the Miami Marlins organization.