Berrios takes step in the right direction with nearly flawless outing against Yankees

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher José Berrios is looking to get his career back on track after last October's injury and exit from the World Series. After losing his spot in the starting rotation for the Blue Jays' postseason run, Berrios is hoping to be a starter yet again.

With Shane Bieber not expected to be ready for the start of the season, Berrios may get his wish, even if it could mean it's temporary. So far, his Spring Training has been on the rise, and his latest outing shows hope for the veteran.

Jose Berrios shines in outing against the New York Yankees

Berrios opened up his Spring Training campaign on February 23 with a strong outing. The right-hander pitched for 2.2 innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, a walk, and two strikeouts against the Mets.

In Saturday's (February 28) matchup against the New York Yankees, Berrios was completely dominant on the mound, throwing for 4.0 innings, not allowing a hit or a run with two strikeouts. The performance also came against a Yankee lineup that saw a good number of players from their big-league roster, including Aaron Judge.

After walking the first batter he faced, Berrios got Judge to ground into a force out on a 93.1 mph inside sinker. Jazz Chisholm then grounded into a double play on five pitches, swinging at a high fastball outside of the zone to end the inning. In the second inning he struck out Austin Wells on six pitches before José Caballero and Ryan McMahon hit back-to-back fly outs.

Berrios got the next six outs in order, with one strikeout and he once again got the middle of the order combination of Judge, Chisholm and Goldschmidt to either ground out or pop up, getting through those hitters unscathed.

With his fastballs averaging in the low 90s, Berrios topped off at 94.5 MPH. The speed was an uptick from his first Spring Training appearance, which saw his average sit around 91.9 MPH. In 2025, Berrios saw his fastball average at 93.0 MPH, but it was also his second-most hit pitch, just behind his cutter. According to his Baseball Savant page, his fastball percentiles were low: fastball velocity ranked 22nd, and fastball run value at 38th.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider noted that he's expected to take his time in determining the starting rotation for the 2026 regular season. Originally the Opening Day starter, Berrios finished his 2025 campaign with a 9-5 record and 4.17 ERA before being shut down with an elbow injury. Prior to the shutdown, Berrios was moved to the bullpen, much to his dismay. Berrios, ideally, would love to return to the rotation, especially after concerns of unhappiness and miscommunication.

Regardless of whether Schenider decides on a five-man or six-man rotation (which may not be a terrible idea with the amount of options), Berrios will hope to be part of those plans.