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    This Time It's Different

    Seth Stohs

    By Seth Stohs

    I walked into the Twins clubhouse at Hammond Stadium this morning. There were a couple of games of cards being played. Some players were on their phones at their locker. 20-year-old Jose (JO) Berrios sat at his desk quietly. He had a stack of envelopes in his locker and one on the floor next to his chair. He had a Sharpie in his hand and was carefully writing his name on the baseball cards with his picture on them.

    Image courtesy of Seth Stohs

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    As I approached him, he extended his hand and said, “Hi Seth. How are you doing?”

    After exchanging pleasantries, I said to the young pitching prospect, “Wow! That is a lot of envelopes! Is that normal?”

    He nodded and said, “Every day! It is this many almost every day.”

    Such is life for the Twins prospect, but he seems to enjoy it. Letters from all over the country and from his native Puerto Rico. Each starts with “Hi Mr. Berrios. You are a very good pitcher.” Or at least something to that effect. Some letters are long, and some are short. He takes the time to read them and sign.

    This isn’t JO Berrios’s first trip to big league spring training. Two years ago, Berrios was able to work out with the Twins during major league spring training because he had been named to Puerto Rico’s World Baseball Classic roster. He pitched out of the team’s bullpen as an 18-year-old that year. This year, his experience has already been different.

    He said, “That year, I was just here because I was training for the World Baseball Classic. This time, I am here competing for a spot.”

    The Twins supplemental first-round draft choice in 2012 took a big step forward in his career in 2014. He was named the Minor League Pitcher of the Year by the Minnesota Twins, as well as the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. He began the season in Ft. Myers and finished his season with a start on the final weekend for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. He started the Florida State League All-Star game as well as MLB’s Futures Game at Target Field. Overall, he went 12-8 with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. In 139.2 innings, he struck out 140 batters while walking just 38.

    This spring, he has pitched twice, both two-inning stints. Asked how he was feeling, Berrios said, “Everything is good. Arm feels really good.”

    He is also happy that his wife and their daughter are in Ft. Myers with him during spring training. They attend the home Twins games, and he enjoys being able to go home to them at the end of each day.

    Most likely, Berrios will begin his 2015 season at Double-A Chattanooga, but he is focused. That doesn’t surprise anyone who has seen the videos of his workout and the drive that he has. At this point, who are we to put it past him?

    Seth Stohs has been blogging about the Minnesota Twins since May 2003. A founder and owner of Twins Daily (including Brewer Fanatic, North Side Baseball), Seth has been a Twins fan for 40 years and has a passion for covering the minor leagues and prospects. #GirlDad
    Follow Seth Stohs on Twitter: sethtweets

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    Featured Comments

    Otto von Ballpark

    Otto von Ballpark 20,382

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

     

    I think there's a few reasons.

    1) As I mentioned above, all three have had some struggles at AA and are all still working on their defense.  Making a decision based on the small amount of ST at-bats would be a bad idea.

     

    2) AAA is less a learning environment.  The atmosphere there isn't always that great for young prospects.  A couple of the prospect writers at BP have touched on this.

     

    3) The Twins (and most teams) have started to use AA as the jump point to the majors and then use AAA as the place to refine.

    I think point #2, while true in some respects, is often over-stated.  Most prospects still spend plenty of time in AAA.  Even Twins prospects.  It can be used however an organization wants.  All of our top pitching prospects seem ticketed to spend significant time at that level -- so why wouldn't it be a good place for top hitters?  Don't you want them facing other team's equivalents May, Meyer, Berrios, etc. on the cusp of the majors themselves?

     

    I think the Twins recent "AA to MLB jump" for some position player prospects is more a function of need than strategy.  Actually, only Vargas and Hicks so far have tried the jump completely -- Santana and Dozier at least had brief stops at AAA along the way.  But all of them were called upon to fill a gaping MLB hole, just like Mauer in 2004, and a ton of pitchers in 2001, etc.

    Otto von Ballpark

    Otto von Ballpark 20,382

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    Also, as far as struggles, Sano posted a wRC+ of 145 in his time in AA.  Rosario about 93 (and only 104 in his "good" year at that level in 2013).

     

    If Rosario can be deemed "ready" for AAA based on that, plus 24 AFL games and 2015 spring training, I see no reason why Sano can't likewise be deemed "ready" based on his previous performance level and 2015 spring training.

     

    Not that I would be upset about Sano to AA, but barring injury, it should be brief (like Morneau in 2003, who was promoted to AAA on April 30).  He's not that far behind Rosario, if at all.

    h2oface

    h2oface 8,909

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    On the recent broadcast I heard the announcer pronounce his name bay-REE-oce. Made me realize I had been doing it wrong. As with Arcia's name, I kind of hate to see us encourage what seems like a mangling of his name.

    The only way one truly knows how to pronounce a name is to ask the source. To rely on announcers as the definitive source of pronunciations will get you a lot of wrong versions. The current adventure in college basketball is J.P. Tokoto (TOE-ka-toe), forward for North Carolina. I have been hearing many wrong versions all year, and even more tonight on the ESPN website highlight reels from the woman that narrated it. The home team announcers, hopefully, will get it right, though. Maybe one of the TDers in camp right now can ask Berrios directly?

    h2oface

    h2oface 8,909

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    As long as the Twins continue to stockpile replacement players that are 29-34 years old in AAA (many we now see playing in the Spring Training games in the second half of the games), the real prospects that will actually make the major league team will continue to jump from AA to the show.  There has been plenty written on this site, and other fine articles elsewhere, about the lack of need for many to play in AAA at all.  I think they will be just fine with Doug managing them in Chattanooga. More than fine.  I think that is the best place for the group. 



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