Jose Berrios explains overcoming Opening Day adversity
Photo credit: Reuters
Jose Berrios is a pitcher who has had to go through a lot in his career. However, he has always managed to stay the course, and on Thursday, he showcased his mental toughness.
The Toronto Blue Jays were able to come through with an 8-2 win on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays. Overall, it was a fantastic game that was highlighted by the Jays' hitters. George Springer, Cavan Biggio, and even Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were able to come through with home runs. Meanwhile, it was Jose Berrios who started the game pitching.
In the first inning, he gave up an early run. At that moment, he could have buckled under the pressure. The game could have gotten out of control, and he would have been toast. Instead, he dug deep and was able to play phenomenal baseball. That's when the Blue Jays hitters came in clutch, and the Jays were able to run away with the game.
"The 2024 Blue Jays began the process of carving out a new identity as what manager John Schneider described as «a pretty complete team» Thursday evening, pounding the Tampa Bay Rays in an 8-2 victory on Opening Day."
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In 2022, Berrios had a down year, but he has been able to bounce back since then. Two years ago, a slow start would have ruined his evening. But as he told reporters after the game, he's never felt better mentally. In the end, it's his mental toughness that allowed him to come back and help his team win that Opening Day game.
"It started with my mindset. Mentally, I was stronger, more prepared. I believe in and trust myself because the way I worked between starts gave me that confidence. But also I was able to throw good fastballs to both sides of the plate, my two-seamer to both sides of the plate. Those pitches open up my changeup and breaking ball. But first it was my mentality, it was stronger."
Later today, the Blue Jays will take on the Tampa Bay Rays again, this time at 6:50 PM Eastern Standard Time. You can catch the game over on Sportsnet, if you live in Canada.
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