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Stacey King -> RE: Players and prospects III (8/23/2015 1:15:44 PM)
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Berrios has been a 'machine' on the mound for Red Wings
When he started playing baseball, Jose Berrios wanted to be a catcher.
"It was my favorite position," he said, "and Ivan Rodriguez was my favorite player."
He didn't catch, however. Instead, he played both middle infield positions, shortstop and second base.
Yeah, that arm, the one that can throw a ball 94 mph, at second base. You could say he just might have been miscast.
But with a guy named Carlos Correa also on the team, shortstop was locked up. Correa was the first overall pick in the 2012 draft and now plays for the Houston Astros. That's why Berrios played second.
His agents, Ramon Martinez and Melvin Roman, also thought Berrios was miscast, though. They didn't want him at second base, shortstop or even catcher. They wanted him to pitch.
"They said, 'You can play professional baseball as a position player but you have a better future on the mound,' " Berrios recalled.
So at their suggestion, he made the switch in January 2012. Six months later the Minnesota Twins made him the highest drafted pitcher ever from Puerto Rico. He was selected with the 32nd pick.
"I'd say it worked out well for him," said Brad Steil, director of minor league operations for the Twins.
Indeed, three years later, Berrios is knocking on the door of the Twins' rotation. It's rather remarkable that, at 21, he's already in Triple-A with the Rochester Red Wings, considering his lack of pitching experience.
But now you know why Josue Rivera, his personal trainer at home in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, nicknamed "La Maquina." The Machine.
The 6-foot, 185-pound right-hander is driven to be the best he can, and he's willing to work. And work. And work.
"The machine is only off when you disconnect it," Berrios said. "When he called me La Maquina, I said, 'Alright, I can be that.' "
He has adopted the nickname as his Twitter handle; @JOlaMaquina. And when Coca-Cola came out with the bottles that featured first names, Coke Puerto Rico marketed one in honor of Berrios: La Maquina. With his permission, of course.
He said he has three of the bottles as souvenirs.
Considering his outgoing personality, and his potential to be an impact player, there certainly could be more endorsements in his future. But first things first. He's still in Triple-A, having made 9 starts since his July 1 promotion from Double-A Chattanooga.
Berrios has a 3-2 record and 3.12 earned run average. His WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) is 1.06, with 61 strikeouts in 57.2 innings. With Chattanooga, he went 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA, striking out 92 batters in 90.2 innings.
"I'm happy with what I do, and what I have to do the rest of the season," Berrios said. "I'm happy the organization has given me an opportunity to pitch all year.
"I will still try to make my dream come true — to play in the majors."
From the Twins standpoint, he is right on schedule. They had envisioned him making the jump from Double-A to Triple around the midpoint of the season, Steil said.
As far as pitching for the Twins, "That will come in time," Steil said, "if he continues this progression."
He throws four pitches: a fastball, a two-seam fastball, a change-up and a curve. The two-seam fastball "looks straight and then it moves a little to the right side," Berrios said. The velocity is similar to his normal fastball, 93-94 mph.
He's working to perfect his changeup. "That pitch is really hard to throw," Berrios said, "but when you learn, you're killing the hitter."
That's all part of the learning process.
"That's why being at this level is a good thing," Steil said. "He can face some experienced hitters who will make him pay for mistakes, and he'll learn from that."
When Berrios had first made the transition to pitcher, he was a bit bored.
"It was different for me," he said. "When you play a position, you play all the innings. When you're a pitcher, you have to sit here and wait for your turn to pitch."
He's loving it now, though. "I just thank God for giving me the opportunity to play the beautiful game of baseball."
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