It’s often said that there’s no such thing as having too many good pitchers, but those who say it have probably never had to decide a postseason rotation.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ rotation isn’t just a good one, but a veteran one. Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, José Berríos, and Chris Bassitt have all been in the league since at least 2018.
At least one and quite possibly two of those pitchers will have to be left out of the fun in the playoffs, and based on his middling season, the 31-year-old Berríos knows he’s in the mix to be left out.
However, Berríos isn’t going down without a fight. On Wednesday night, he tossed 5 1/3 solid innings against the Houston Astros, giving up two earned runs and striking out four.
Though he’s likely fighting for a Game 4 start in the American League Division Series at best, Berrios’ work on Wednesday impressed his manager, John Schneider.
“I was really encouraged with his stuff,” Schneider said, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. “For one, he had a way better fastball. His tempo and delivery, I thought it was way better, and his curveball was way better.”
Schneider is also keenly aware that his pitchers could be sweating their statuses on the postseason roster, but believes in the group to buckle down and do their jobs on a nightly basis.
“I’m fairly certain that everyone in the room knows we have to try to win every single night, and whatever we have to do to do that, we’re going to,” Schneider said.
Berríos now owns a 3.99 ERA and 4.52 FIP through 29 starts. His last trip to the postseason was a memorable one, as Schneider pulled him after three scoreless innings in the game that ultimately resulted in the Blue Jays’ 2023 elimination.
More MLB: Mets Superstar Pete Alonso Hints At Where He Wants to Play Next Season
Read the full article here
