6 Blue Jays players who put up eye-catching numbers this spring

Which Jays players’ impressive showings in spring training could bode well for them heading into the regular season?
Toronto Blue Jays v Cleveland Guardians
Toronto Blue Jays v Cleveland Guardians / Jason Miller/GettyImages
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José Berríos

Finally, for someone that had the entire Jays’ nation deeply worried just two years ago, José Berríos has definitely been a revelation over the past year and a bit. After posting his career worst numbers (outside of his debut season in 2014) in 2022 when he pitched to a 5.23 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, many started to panic on whether his huge contract extension was turning into an all-time bust for the Jays.

However, a huge bounce back season in 2023 has helped calm the waters a bit when Berríos compiled a solid 11-12 record with a 3.65 ERA, 1.19 WHIP with 184 strikeouts in 189.2 innings pitched. This spring, he has further cemented his status in the Jays’ starting rotation by pumping out spectacular numbers across the board, leading the team with a dandy 1.38 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, giving up only 2 earned runs with 2 walks and 9 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched over 4 starts. More impressively, he has even added a cutter to his pitching arsenal to make him even more lethal entering the regular season.

With team ace Kevin Gausman not likely to be ready for the start of the regular season, Berríos has been deservingly named the Opening Day starter for the Jays for 2024. Not bad for someone that appeared to be heading downhill just a couple of years ago, who somehow miraculously turned things around 180 degrees to become a key cog in the starting rotation. Hopefully Berríos will be able to carry that success into this MLB season and beyond in helping the Jays in their quest for the World Series championship.