Berríos gets ball back on opening day
While season ended in heartache, right-hander would do well to repeat his 2023 campaign
If Kevin Gausman had a normal spring training, he would have been the obvious candidate to start opening day. But based on recent events, his replacement appears to be the more fitting choice.
The last time Blue Jays fans saw José Berríos in a big-league uniform he was walking off the field in Minneapolis having tossed three scoreless innings in an American League wild-card series. His departure marked the beginning of the end as Yusei Kikuchi immediately served up two runs in what turned out to be a 2-0 loss.
Berríos looked shell-shocked when manager John Schneider exited the dugout and asked for the ball. Following the loss, and a series sweep by the Minnesota Twins, the distraught right-hander had to be consoled by teammates before he could speak with the media.
Taking Berríos out early had apparently always been the plan, but there appeared to be a breakdown in communication among the front office, coaching staff and players when that message was delivered.
Berríos later admitted he knew an early exit was a possibility, but with the way he was throwing that day he didn’t think it would happen. Pretty much everyone on the team was in the same boat.
But it did, and what followed was one of the most crushing losses in franchise history. After a leadoff walk by Berríos, Kikuchi allowed each of the next three batters to reach base. Within minutes, the Jays lost control of the game and never got it back.
This wasn’t just any loss. It was the type of defeat that can stick with a team for months, even years. It was also a decision that could have caused Berríos and others to lose faith in their employer. Tough conversations followed to ensure that wouldn’t be the case.
“Obviously everybody knows how last year ended, but we are grown men,” Berríos said in advance of Thursday’s season opener on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays. “We talked, we were clear with everything. We have turned the page. This is a great moment, great opportunity to start the season, restart the relationship.”
Berrios is no stranger to opening days. He started two season openers for the Twins and pitched in the Jays’ first game of 2022.
Berríos’ previous opening-day start with the Jays, however, is one he would like to forget. He retired just one of the first seven batters while allowing three hits, including a homer, to the Texas Rangers. The Jays had yet to even bat before Berríos had to be pulled with his club trailing by four.
The rest of that 2022 season proved equally challenging. Berríos went on to allow the most hits (199) and earned runs (100) of any pitcher in the majors on the way to a 12-7 record and 5.23 ERA. It was — by far — the worst season of his career, but the subpar results didn’t stick.
By 2023, Berríos was back to his old self. After a pair of rough starts to open the year, the 29-year-old right-hander surrendered three runs or fewer in all but one of his next 12 outings. He finished with a 3.65 ERA, the second-lowest of his career.
“He is one of the easiest guys to pull for in baseball, because of his work ethic, the way he treats and appreciates the game,” Jays general manager Ross Atkins said. “Watching him go through that tough year and then seeing him have a rebound year ... the performance fluctuated, but his demeanour, his character, the teammate, never changed. It has been great for the organization. He’s a massive influence on all of us.”
Perhaps that perseverance is why Berríos doesn’t hold a grudge about last year. The team stuck by Berríos when things weren’t going well for their prized right-hander, and this was his opportunity to return the favour.
There’s no point dwelling on past mistakes. Just learn from them and move on, which is what Berríos did last year. Maybe the same will soon be said about the Jays and their controversial in-game decision making.
“I just asked and they responded honestly,” BerrÍos said about conversations that followed the abrupt playoff exit. “That’s the only thing I wanted — be honest with me, be transparent — and they will. That’s why we’re able to be on the same page now and move past that situation. It’s a new year, a new opportunity and I think we’re going to start pretty well.”
There are few certainties in baseball, but it’s safe to say that if Berríos takes a scoreless ball game into the fourth inning at Tropicana Field on Thursday, he won’t be coming out of the game. If the Jays are lucky enough to make the post-season again, hopefully similar things will said about his playoff starts, too.