MLB Draft: Chicago Cubs, Jacob Berry linked in latest mock draft

The latest mock MLB Draft over at Baseball America (subscription required) is a doozy. In a year chock-full of high school and collegiate talent alike, the top ten picks are split down the middle, with five selections on the prep side and five selections on the college side. The Chicago Cubs fall into the former category as they have been linked with LSU standout corner infielder Jacob Berry.

Earlier this year, I discussed Berry as a possible fit. Breaking down the brass tacks of the Cubs’ current infield situation and future at the corner infield positions, it seems inevitable that Berry is the selection the Cubs make in July. In fact, if sports books carried draft odds, I’d happily take whatever odds were given.

The Cubs have fillers right now in Frank Schwindel and Patrick Wisdom. Schwindel is pushing 30 years old, and Wisdom is nearing 31. No offense to either guy but long-term, no thank you. So, this leads us back to Berry and his prospect in blue and white pinstripes.

MLB Draft: Jacob Berry could be a switch-hitting machine for the Cubs

Rumblings abound at the prospect of the Cubs moving in a different direction and off Berry. The nature of the talent pool this year is real; however, considering the aging Schwindel and Wisdom, respectively, Berry is the best fit for this Cubs squad.

You know the bat is the real deal if you’ve read Berry’s scouting report. If you have not, I suggest you subscribe to Baseball America because their content is next-level. Berry began his college baseball career at the University of Arizona in 2021. As a freshman for the Wildcats, Berry slashed an astounding .352/.439/.676 in 63 games. Not bad for a freshman.

This year, following a transfer, Berry has stepped up his game in a huge way. The Pac-12 is nowhere on the level of the SEC when it comes to baseball, or any sport for that matter, and Berry has taken his place at LSU in stride and performed at an elite level. In 52 games this season for the Tigers, Berry slashed .373/.465/.637, with 15 home runs and 48 RBI. In 204 at-bats, the switch-hitting machine carried a 1.102 OPS and strikes out less than ten percent of the time.

Berry would fit the system perfectly. His 6’0″, 212-pound frame already resonates with that of a future major league star, and he easily could find himself in the heart of a major league batting order in a few short years, and that prospect should excite Cubs fans.

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The Cubs have an excellent infield depth in the lower levels; however, no player like Berry exists, and soon the club will be able to move on from Schwindel and Wisdom. Knowing that to be the case, Berry seems to be the perfect fit to bridge that gap while the Cubs continue to play musical chairs at their corner infield positions. That is why Berry makes the most sense for the Cubs in the draft this year. You can take that to your piggy bank.