Thread: Article: Pickin' Berrios

Originally Posted by mnfanforlife

Anyone think Berrios pitches in A+ this coming summer?

Nope, the Twins make nearly all HS players stay a full year at low A. Arcia got to skip out after half a season but he was a hitter. Berrios will get no higher than CR this year.

Originally Posted by nicksaviking

Nope, the Twins make nearly all HS players stay a full year at low A. Arcia got to skip out after half a season but he was a hitter. Berrios will get no higher than CR this year.

I don't like it, but I agree that is the wisest course of action for Berrios. We need pitching NOW in Minnesota, but its not worth risking guys like J.O. before they are ready for a big-league workload

prospects need time. you don't rush a prospect because of need. Plus the Twins have Gibson, May and Meyer in AA/AAA.

Originally Posted by kab21

prospects need time. you don't rush a prospect because of need. Plus the Twins have Gibson, May and Meyer in AA/AAA.

And a ton of college arms that are not even on the Top 20 list by MLB.com

How about a future rotation of:

1. Meyer
2. May
3. Berrios
4. Gibson
5. Boyd/Baxendale/Hendriks/Mata/ whoever is good

Originally Posted by kab21

prospects need time. you don't rush a prospect because of need. Plus the Twins have Gibson, May and Meyer in AA/AAA.

You don't want to push a guy who's not ready, but if he is proving himself, a quick advancement is not necessarily rushing a young player. Had the Twins been fortunate enough to have gotten their hands on Felix Hernandez or Clayton Kershaw, would those players still have reached the majors at the young ages of 19 and 20 years old? No one can say, but i suspect not.

Originally Posted by nicksaviking

You don't want to push a guy who's not ready, but if he is proving himself, a quick advancement is not necessarily rushing a young player. Had the Twins been fortunate enough to have gotten their hands on Felix Hernandez or Clayton Kershaw, would those players still have reached the majors at the young ages of 19 and 20 years old? No one can say, but i suspect not.

There is absolutely NO WAY the Twins EVER start a 19-yr-old at ANY position in the big-leagues. Mauer was a rare exception at 20. No one will ever get to Minnesota that quickly ever again.

Originally Posted by nicksaviking

You don't want to push a guy who's not ready, but if he is proving himself, a quick advancement is not necessarily rushing a young player. Had the Twins been fortunate enough to have gotten their hands on Felix Hernandez or Clayton Kershaw, would those players still have reached the majors at the young ages of 19 and 20 years old? No one can say, but i suspect not.

The thing is that Berrrios isn't Kershaw or Felix. If he's dominating at the all star break then he should be promoted. I am expecting him to be good but not great next year.

Originally Posted by kab21

The thing is that Berrrios isn't Kershaw or Felix. If he's dominating at the all star break then he should be promoted. I am expecting him to be good but not great next year.

No Berrios isn't Kershaw or Felix, but when those two were that young, did everyone know they'd turn out exactly how they did? I wonder who people were saying those two weren't when they were that young...

Berrios' numbers in rookie ball were better than Kershaw's...arguably better than King Felix's...at least stat-line wise. We could really have something here.

Great point! And yes, we could really have something special in Berrios

I think you need to reign in your expectations a little.

Originally Posted by kab21

I think you need to reign in your expectations a little.

Perhaps, but when an 18 year old dominates a notorious hitters league, it is worth getting excited about.

I agree that it is worth getting excited about but it's a small sample. He was a supplemental pick, he is not ranked in top 100 lists and most scouting reports say he has #3 upside. Kershaw was the #7 pick, ranked about #25 overall and had #1 upside. Berrios is a very good prospect but I am going to wait untilhe has at least played full season ball to suggest that he will dominate and get promoted to FT Myers.

Originally Posted by kab21

I agree that it is worth getting excited about but it's a small sample. He was a supplemental pick, he is not ranked in top 100 lists and most scouting reports say he has #3 upside. Kershaw was the #7 pick, ranked about #25 overall and had #1 upside. Berrios is a very good prospect but I am going to wait untilhe has at least played full season ball to suggest that he will dominate and get promoted to FT Myers.

For sure kab21, I think we all agree he should not be rushed. But let's detach ourselves from the #3 starter projections, and become enchanted with the mystery of what Berrios could become. We should never pigeon-hole a prospect with dominant numbers, and say ,"well, he is only gonna be a 2nd tier guy in the bigs. So we can reign in our expectations and not expect anything great from him."

I suggest we imagine what is possible, rather than downplay whatever summit a player may reach.

Its a lot more fun anyway. And with all these teenagers in the Twins system, there are a whole lot of summits that will be reached far in to future seasons.

John Sickels scouting report:

Minor League Prospect Note: Jose Berrios, RHP, Minnesota Twins

One of my favorite pitchers from the 2012 draft is Jose Berrios (sometimes referred to as J.O. Berrios), a high school pitcher from Puerto Rico drafted in the supplemental first round by the Minnesota Twins. Berrios has been outstanding in pro ball. He threw five shutout innings for Elizabethton in the Appalachian League on Friday, allowing two hits, walking nobody, while fanning 11.


Overall, in 25.2 innings split between Elizabethton and the Gulf Coast League, Berrios has allowed two runs (0.70 ERA), just 10 hits, only four walks, while fanning 43. That's right, 43/4 K/BB in 25.2 innings with 10 hits allowed.


Standing 6-0, 190, the 18-year-old Berrios is showing a mid-90s fastball, and both his breaking ball and changeup are exceeding his pre-draft scouting reports. The breaking ball is variously described as either a hard curve or a slider, depending on which source you're talking to, but either way it is effective. His changeup is advanced for his age. He also tinkered with a cutter and a slow curve as an amateur. Although he doesn't have much physical projection remaining in terms of size, he is athletic, repeats his mechanics well, and has mature mound presence.


The Twins used him in relief at first in the Gulf Coast League to get him acclimated to pro ball, but he's starting now and has the arsenal to stick there. His control has been very sharp, and obviously his performance has been outstanding so far. I like him a lot and he could end up being one of the best pitchers in the draft class.

From The Scouting Book

Drafted as a teenager from Puerto Rico to open 2012's compensation round, Jose Orlando Berrios is a smallish righthander with good arm strength from a compact but strong frame. His short delivery bodes well for mechanical soundness, with a fastball that can pop at 96mph and a breaking ball that looks like a real plus offering. He'll slow-cook in Minnesota after signing, but if he stays healthy, it won't be long before he's seen as a TOP-FLIGHT PHENOM in a system good at maximizing pitcher value.

Originally Posted by ThePuck

He'll slow-cook in Minnesota after signing, but if he stays healthy, it won't be long before he's seen as a TOP-FLIGHT PHENOM in a system good at maximizing pitcher value.

Thats right, get out your crock pots. We are cooking up an ACE.

Great info about Jose's progression!

Originally Posted by mnfanforlife

Thats right, get out your crock pots. We are cooking up an ACE.

Great info about Jose's progression!

Heck, if he ends up being a decent #2, or a very good #3 (and I don't mean decent #2 or very good #3 based on current Twins value), it's still very good. I don't see any reason not to be high on him.

Originally Posted by ThePuck

Heck, if he ends up being a decent #2, or a very good #3 (and I don't mean decent #2 or very good #3 based on current Twins value), it's still very good. I don't see any reason not to be high on him.

Who is not hi

Originally Posted by ThePuck

Heck, if he ends up being a decent #2, or a very good #3 (and I don't mean decent #2 or very good #3 based on current Twins value), it's still very good. I don't see any reason not to be high on him.

Who is not high on him?