Versatile Berti is Marlins ‘igniter’ on field, at plate
Jon Berti tries not to overthink it. He understands his role with the Miami Marlins.
Some days, he’s a pinch-runner. Others, he’s a defensive replacement at any of the six spots he can play in the field. And other days still, when a regular needs a breather or the pitching matchup is in his favor, he’s in the starting lineup.
“He seems to always be prepared for any situation,” manager Don Mattingly said.
That’s the simple way of breaking it down. Berti is also producing when his name is called.
Entering Thursday, his .467 on-base percentage and 1.067 on-base-plus slugging mark lead the team. His on-base percentage is the thirdhighest in MLB among players with at least 45 plate appearances and his OPS is seventh across the league.
He is already attributed with a 0.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference. That’s tied with Joey
Wendle for second among Marlins position players and trails only
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (1.5) despite having 21 fewer plate appearances than Wendle and 34 less than Chisholm.
“He’s an igniter,” general manager Kim Ng said.
It’s a rewarding experience for the 32-year-old considering his journey to get to this point. Berti was an 18th-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays out of Bowling Green in the 2011 MLB Draft and he spent his first eight seasons of pro ball in the minor leagues before getting called up by the Blue Jays late in the 2018 season for four games.
He signed with the Marlins as a minor-league free agent ahead of the 2019 season and was called up to the big league club in April of that year.
Outside of a couple injury stints — an oblique strain that resulted in him missing two months in 2019 and a concussion that ended his 2021 season early — he has been a mainstay on the Marlins’ roster.
“This is a guy that battled
to get himself here,” Mattingly said. “He is that guy that you know you can count on.”
What’s his secret?
“I’ve just been preparing like I’m going to play every day,” Berti said. “Staying ready, staying prepared as much as possible so that when you do get a chance, whether it’s a couple games in a row or a day here or there
or whatever, I’m ready.”
Berti’s versatility helped him get his opportunity with the Marlins in 2019. His production helped him stay with Miami three years later as a super-utility player.
He has already five games at second base, four at third base and one at shortstop while also serving as a late-inning defensive replacement in
both left field and center field. He has not made an error in the field.
“He protects you,” Ng said.
There’s also not a drop in the production when he’s in the game. Berti has safely reached base in nine of his 10 starts. He’s one of four Marlins players to have scored 10 runs.
He uses his speed to his advantage. Berti’s sprint speed ranks in the 97th percentile of the league this year, according to Statcast, and he has ranked in the top five percentile of the league every season since his debut in 2018.
“He gets on base,” Ng said, “and then wreaks havoc on the bases.”
“When he plays,” Mattingly said, “you expect him to have success. He’s always ready for different situations.”
But he also has some underrated power potential. Of his 165 career hits, 50 have gone for extra bases. Of his 14 career home runs, 12 went at least 380 feet — including both homers he hit on Wednesday.
“You don’t look at him as a 30-home run guy,” Mattingly said, “but he has power and if he hits it in the right spot he can [hit home runs].”
For Berti, though, the focus is simply on making an impact whenever his name is called. He’s doing that so far this season.
“I’m more confident than I have been in previous years,” Berti said. “I feel like I know whatever situation’s thrown at me out there, I’ve been there before.”