RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target ~240s
CURRENT ADP: ~260 overall
ANALYSIS:
Until last season, Jon Berti seemed destined to be marked as a career minor leaguer, as he had never played above Triple-A in his first eight seasons. But those types of players can easily find their way into the mix in Miami, where Berti earned 256 at-bats at various positions last year. Berti made the most of the opportunity to display his versatility and prolific approach on the basepaths, stealing 17 bases, and his Sprint Speed of 29.8 was 13th best in the Majors. He hit for a .273 average, and the OBP of .348 isn’t too bad either if you play in one of those formats that use the category.
The speed is certainly no fluke, as Berti never stole less than 23 bases in a minor league season. Don Mattingly seems to prefer versatile types like Berti, and while he has no set starting position for 2020, the universal DH will make it easy for Miami to get him in the lineup often as a super-utility player. Additionally, starting second baseman Isan Diaz struggled in his first major league action last year and has been struggling during spring training as well, which could open up more consistent at-bats for Berti.
Regardless, he seems more likely to find regular at-bats during the season, and, at an ADP of 251.19, Berti is well worth the late pick to see him play enough to possibly net 30 steals, especially if he ends up hitting in the leadoff spot frequently.
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