JO Berrios: Working for a Big Season (VIDEO)

As I'm typing this article on Thursday morning, Berrios is boarding a plane in Puerto Rico. He will arrive in Minneapolis this afternoon. Tonight, he will be at the Twins annual Diamond Awards where he will be presented with the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year award. He will remain in the Twin Cities through Sunday. He will be at TwinsFest, where you will be able to get his autograph and shake his hand if you like.

It has been a whirlwind past 12 months for the Twins' top pitching prospect. He began the 2014 season with the Ft. Myers Miracle and pitched well enough to be named the starting pitcher in the Florida State League All-Star game.

He saw his prospect status rise and he was named to the Futures Game, which was played at Target Field. In fact, he was named the starting pitcher for the World Team and threw a 1-2-3 first inning. He walked off the mound to an ovation from the fans, many of whom are looking forward to seeing him work off that same mound for years to come. He was promoted to Double-A and actually finished the season with one start for the Class-AAA Rochester Red Wings.

He turned 20 years old in May. That same month he became father to a daughter, Valentina. In December, he was married.

“Being a parent is a privilege. Thank God I have a beautiful, healthy girl whom I love with all my heart. Now I have a bigger reason to work harder. That feeling of being her first love [is great]! I love her with all my heart.”

And yet, teammates, coaches and even front office marveled at his work ethic and drive.

In this year's Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015 (Berrios is on the cover), I asked several people about Berrios. Here are some of the responses.

Matt Tomshaw, his teammate much of the last two seasons said, "Every day he's out there out-working everyone."

Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year Brandon Peterson said of Berrios, “I would say obviously everyone can see the talent is there. But not everyone gets to see what kind of guy he is. He keeps his head down and works hard, which is great to see.”

Matt Koch, who caught him with the Rock Cats, said, “What made him so successful this year was his outstanding work ethic and positive mentality. Everyone knows that he has outstanding command of his pitches, but what separates him from everyone else is that he never seems to succumb to pressure and never shows any chink in his armor. He has great work ethic when throwing bullpens and in his conditioning, and it shows up in the game. Nothing is better for me as a catcher when I know the guy on the mound has supreme confidence in every pitch he has.”

His primary catcher with the Miracle was Stuart Turner. He said, "[berrios] was successful, first and foremost, because he is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever played with over the years."

Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil said that Berrios “continues to get better in all areas – pitchability, stuff, and command. He’s a tough competitor with tremendous drive and work ethic.”

That is certainly the theme when people close to him talk about Berrios. In the book, Berrios had big plans for his offseason after seeing success in 2014 with alterations to his routine.

He said, “I believe my biggest improvement was getting in shape. Also, having better eating habits compared to the previous season. I began a new exercise routine in the offseason as well.”

This offseason, that work and preparation has been recorded. We now have video proof. Here is a quick preview of what Berrios has been doing this offseason in his native Puerto Rico. (Video by his friend Jorge Soto.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu4xD53y3Pg&feature=youtu.be

Berrios told me this morning that this is likely a preview for a longer documentary to follow. Running in the ocean off the coast of his native Puerto Rico. Pushing around cards. Berrios is getting stronger while maintaining his pitching flexibility.

Last week, Ash Marshall from mlb.com did an interview with Berrios in which we read more about his confidence and his lofty goals for 2015 and beyond.

Looking to 2015, Berrios told me in an interview in the Twins Prospect Handbook that he has set a couple of goals. “I have a lot of great expectations for 2015. I’m focused on my daily training. Also to work hard on my numbers, less walks than 2014 and get double-digit wins. And hopefully at mid-year, I’ll get to be selected for the All-Star Game in Cincinnati.”

But his goals are much bigger than even that. Getting called up for Berrios would be “a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to become a big leaguer. I’ve been working hard and hopefully I’m closer to it. But my dream is to be part of the Hall of Fame someday.”

Those goals certainly seem lofty, and less than 1% of players who reach the major leagues will become Hall of Famers. But after watching the work he's putting in and the confidence he has, who knows, maybe JO Berrios has a chance. If nothing else, we won't be able to question how hard he is working!

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!