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The Toronto Blue Jays have announced Jose Berrios as their Opening Day starter. On Thursday, March 28th, Berrios will take the mound for Toronto against the Tampa Bay Rays and their starting pitcher, Zack Eflin.
Fans of the Blue Jays have joined the excitement for Opening Day, especially with Berrios leading the team.
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However, fans didn't forget to take a jibe at the early game pull-out incident from last year. During a Wild Card game against the Minnesota Twins, Berrios was replaced by Yusei Kikuchi despite having a strong performance.
This time around, fans are urging the Toronto front office to trust their All-Star ace.
"Just don't pull him early please," a fan commented.
Berrios had a phenomenal season in 2023, starting 32 games with a 3.65 ERA. He pitched 189.2 innings and struck out 184 batters, proving his dominance on the mound.
During the Grapefruit League, Berrios started four games and maintained a 1.38 ERA, throwing 13.0 innings and recording nine strikeouts. He is expected to lead the Blue Jays' rotation like he did the previous season and help the team make another postseason appearance.
Blue Jays have an exciting roster this year
After the Blue Jays' season ended, the management announced John Schneider’s return as manager for the 2024 season. Last year, Schneider led the team to the Wild Series. It’ll be interesting to see how he manages to go beyond that this season.
During the offseason, they lost some of their stars, like Whit Merrifield, Jordan Hicks and Matt Chapman. However, the team might surprise many with their latest acquisitions this season.
Former New York Yankees infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa agreed to a two-year deal to play for the Blue Jays. Additionally, the team also convinced former LA Dodgers and Red Sox star Justin Turner to join them this year.
Another surprising addition to the team is the former Cincinnati Reds star, Joey Votto, who will be playing for his hometown team for the very first time. The Canadian legend was waiting for an offer and Toronto signed him to a minor league deal.
Although Votto hasn't been named in the main lineup yet, the All-Star veteran knows what needs to be done. Along with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Votto would help his team get into postseason.
