DUNEDIN, Fla. — When Jose Berrios scanned the Phillies’ batting order ahead of his Grapefruit League debut, he was pleasantly surprised to learn a real challenge awaited him.
Lineups are often light on experience this time of year, when veteran players are still ramping up and disinclined toward long bus trips, but the Phillies brought a deep lineup from nearby Clearwater to face Berrios Wednesday afternoon. Among the starters: Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, J.T. Realmuto and Max Kepler.
Some teams won’t field a lineup that talented all season, and some pitchers won’t face a group that deep all spring.
“I saw the lineup and said, ‘Oh, it’s a good day to work,’” Berrios said. “It was fun to compete like that against that lineup so early.”
Thirty-four pitches later, Berrios had completed 2.1 innings while allowing one run and striking out two — a stellar Grapefruit League debut for a pitcher who posted a 3.60 ERA over the course of 192.1 innings last year. Now, as a new season begins, the 30-year-old’s combination of consistency and upside makes him truly indispensable to the Blue Jays ahead of a pivotal 2025 season.
“I don’t want to change anything,” he said. “Just add good things.
“Knowing more of my strengths and my weaknesses,” Berrios continued. “That way, you can be a better athlete, a better competitor and a better pitcher.”
Better would be nice, but the Blue Jays would surely welcome more of the same for Berrios, who has started exactly 32 games in each of the last six full seasons — a remarkable display of durability from the pitched nicknamed La Makina.
“We’ve been spoiled and have come to expect that out of him. It gets overshadowed, but you can pencil him in for 30 a year,” said Jays manager John Schneider. “He’s as consistent as anyone I’ve seen with what he’s doing and having intent with everything he does. Pretty meticulous about his throwing program on non-mound days and definitely on mound days. He’s earned the nickname.”
As usual, the Blue Jays will be depending on Berrios to carry a heavy workload while also offering legitimate upside in a way that many innings eaters don’t. And as he enters his fourth full season with the organization, there’s a lot of trust that the former shortstop will do everything possible behind the scenes to make the most of his innate athletic ability.
“He definitely hit the genetic jackpot,” Schneider said. “But he’s taken advantage of it. He never wanted to lose his athleticism when he’s on the mound, and taking that into his workouts has been big. He’s just a strong, athletic guy who takes advantage of these beautiful resources that we’ve provided for him.”
Berrios had his strikeout rate drop from 23.5 per cent to 19.5 per cent last season, but we’ve seen before how his athleticism and work ethic allow him to make adjustments better than most. For instance, after a rough 2022 season in which he led the American League in earned runs allowed, he increased his whiffs on his way to a 3.65 ERA in 2023.
“There’s more in there for Jose when it comes to strikeouts, for sure,” Schneider said.
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A two-time All-Star now entering his 10th big-league season, Berrios is unquestionably a veteran. But he’s only 30 years old — just two years older than Bowden Francis and considerably younger than the trio of Max Scherzer (40), Chris Bassitt (36) and Kevin Gausman (34).
In some ways, Berrios offers the best of both worlds — enough youth to be pitching at his physical peak and enough big-league innings to know what works at the highest level. Along with his rotation mates, he intends to pitch the Blue Jays back into contention following a 74-88 finish a year ago.
“It’s special. We’ve got talent. We’ve got experience,” Berrios said. “We know how to compete and pitch pretty good games, but also, we need to keep working and keep ourselves healthy and strong to have an amazing year.”
BACK, BACK, BACK …
Three Blue Jays outfielders are trending in the right direction, with game action possible for Anthony Santander, Joey Loperfido and Jonatan Clase by the end of the weekend.
Santander has been dealing with visa issues in the Dominican Republic, but is expected back in Blue Jays camp by Thursday and could be in games Friday. Loperfido is experiencing neck discomfort but no concussion symptoms after crashing into the centre-field wall Tuesday and he could be back in games by Friday, too.
Lastly, Clase (hamstring) has been running close to full speed and could be ready for games this weekend.
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