How Jon Berti, after ‘frustrating’ 2 months, is becoming a ‘piece’ for the Miami Marlins
For a simple idea of exactly what value Jon Berti provides to the Miami Marlins, take a look at what he did in the fourth inning of the Marlins’ 9-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.
The utilityman, filling in as the Marlins’ starting shortstop for the injured Miguel Rojas, stepped up to the plate with a runner on third and two outs after a baserunning gaffe by Jorge Alfaro forced out Martin Prado in front of him. An out now would end the inning and stop the Marlins from extending their lead over the National League East-leading Braves.
Instead, Berti slapped a full-count two-seam fastball into left field — his second of three hits that game — to drive in Alfaro and keep the inning alive. Three pitches later, he sprinted around the basepaths and scored on a Starlin Castro double. Two pitches later, Brian Anderson hit his second home run of the game — and 20th of the season — to cap scoring in a five-run inning and chase Braves starter Dallas Keuchel from the game.
“Bert’s hit kept that thing going,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said, “and allowed us a little freedom in there.”
It has become a recurring theme lately. Berti, who spent the first eight years of professional baseball in the minor leagues, has not only been getting hits at a high volume since his return from a two-month stay on the injured list.
But the 29-year-old rookie is stringing together his at-bats in key situations while being a spark plug at the top of the Marlins’ lineup.
Just how productive has Berti been since rejoining the Marlins on July 31? He’s batting .433 with five doubles, a triple, five RBI and five runs scored over seven games. He has five multi-hit games in that span, including Thursday’s 3-for-5, two RBI, two run showing.
And before being thrust into the starting shortstop role, Berti showcased his versatility in the field, too. He has played at five positions in that seven-game span — all three outfield spots, third base and shortstop. Only the Washington Nationals’ Gerardo Parra has played more defensive positions over the past week (six).
“He’s been a true piece,” Mattingly said, “and looks like a guy that has a chance to be a piece moving forward.”
He lives up to his Twitter handle, @Jonny_Hustle, with his aggressiveness and willingness to make a play wherever he is in the field. His sprint speed rate, defined by Statcast as how fast a player runs in the fastest second of a given competitive run, of 29.7 feet per second is the sixth fastest among MLB players with at least 50 competitive runs. He is averaging 4.03 seconds from home plate to first base on competitive runs, which ranks seventh in MLB and narrowly behind the likes of Dee Gordon (4.02) and Billy Hamilton (4.01).
He showed his potential early on. The Marlins signed Berti to a minor-league contract this offseason with an invitation to big-league camp. After a strong showing in Jupiter and a knack to make an impact in the lineup for the Triple A New Orleans Baby Cakes over the first two weeks of the minor-league season, Berti made his Marlins debut on April 20. His hit .237 in his first 22 games with a pair of home runs and 12 runs scored over 68 plate appearances.
“When he’s been with us, he’s been good,” Mattingly said. “You see the speed. ... He hits the ball deep. It’s a short, compact swing. It’s been good all year. This was one of those things that he’s been a great sign by our guys in development in finding this guy.”
And then, a month after joining the big-league club, a left oblique strain sent him to the IL. Two months in the middle of his MLB career were spent rehabbing and recovering instead of honing his talent at the highest level.
“Frustrating,” Berti said before adding that “you learn a lot about yourself in those times. When the game’s taken away from you, you appreciate it a little more.”
He’s still appreciating it as his first extended MLB opportunity continues.
“Just trying to do what I can to help this team put together good at-bats,” Berti said. “It’s fun to be back up here with the guys again.”
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