FSU baseball: Impact of Jaime Ferrer’s Freshman All-American season

Freshman Jaime Ferrer became one of the most important players on the 2022 team. Ferrer’s performance earned All-American Honors from Collegiate Baseball, as the publication announced Wednesday.

One of the biggest questions I had going into the season was the offense. Here’s what I wrote when the Noles were listed as a top 15 team in the preseason and favorites to win the ACC.

"The good news is the majority of the pitching staff returns, along with a few key additions. The bad news is I don’t know where much of the offensive production will come from with the losses of Matheu Nelson, Robby Martin, and Elijah Cabell to the MLB Draft."

That foresight wasn’t exactly Nostradamus because anyone who followed the program knew that was a legitimate concern.

However, I think most people would have been surprised if you told them a true freshman would lead the offense in nearly every offensive category. That’s what Jaime Ferrer brought to the table. Jamie Ferrer started every game in 2022, leading the team in the following categories:

-Batting average: .320
-OPS: .975
-At-bats: 219
-Runs: 40
-Hits: 70
-Doubles: 19
-Total Bases: 118
-Hit by pitch: 23
-On-base percentage: .436

Ferrer was third in home runs (9) and slugging percentage (.539). While his defense in the outfield wasn’t error-free (6 errors in 86 chances), it was his first time playing in the outfield, and he made some nice plays throughout the season.

The impressive thing about Ferrer’s season is his steadiness. He started every game, which is impressive in itself. However, Ferrer has Type1 diabetes, not to mention the number of times he got hit by pitches which can cause nagging injuries. It’s common for freshmen to get worn down because of the long season, but Ferrer brought it every game.

His hustle, stretching singles into doubles because of looking for the double straight out of the batter’s box is a mindset. I’ve said it several times this year. If you had nine players like Ferrer, you’d win lots of games.

He was FSU’s most important offensive player, and his freshman All-American status is well-deserved. Congrats to Jaime, and I look forward to watching your game progress at FSU baseball.