Chicago Cubs: 4 can’t-miss options at the seventh pick in the draft

Cubs: 4 options with the seventh pick in the MLB Draft: Jacob Berry

Jacob Berry has been one of the most prolific bats in college baseball for the past two years at Arizona and LSU, and is likely to be a top 10 pick in the draft.  Though his defense leaves a lot to be desired, similar to Jung, which will likely drop him further than he originally was projected to go, Berry has the offensive profile of a first overall pick, with a class-best 65-grade power stroke (Pipeline), paired with a 60-grade hit tool, Berry has the makings of a dominant major league hitter.

Berry put up jaw-dropping numbers in his freshman of the year campaign at Arizona but has staggeringly gotten better in the SEC. Berry had a solid 19.4 percent strikeout rate his freshman year but cut that number all the way down to 8.8% percent in Baton Rouge. Berry also walked more than he struck out and finished the year with a slash line of .370/.464/.630.

The problem for Berry is that his defensive miscues are unavoidable. He was a complete liability at third base and in left field and the best-case scenario for him in the field is sticking at first base but carries a big risk of being a long-term designated hitter. Still, the offensive makeup could be very hard to turn down for Jed Hoyer and the front office.