Blue Jays Starting Pitcher Showing Concerning Recent Velocity Numbers
In this story:
The Toronto Blue Jays have continued rolling, sitting atop the American League East with a 73-52 record, give games ahead of the Boston Red Sox.
They remain a half-game ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the best record in the league, clicking on all cylinders. But there are some major questions that will have to be answered in the coming days. With players returning from the injured list, a roster crunch is upon the Blue Jays.
It started with George Springer returning last week. The team had to option the hot-hitting Joey Loperfido to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for the veteran coming off the injured list. The next task for manager John Schneider and the front office will be to figure out how to handle the starting rotation.
Shane Bieber has completed his rehab assignment and is ready to return to the Big Leagues for the first time since April 2, 2024. The former AL Cy Young Award winner has been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Toronto has high hopes, acquiring him from the Cleveland Guardians ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
Alas, there is no clear-cut answer when it comes to who should be removed from the rotation to make room for him. Moving to a six-man rotation for the time being is one option, but there are negatives to such a decision. Starting pitchers are creatures of habit and adjusting their schedules could cause more harm than good.
Jose Berrios Experiencing Concerning Drop in Velocity
However, a little extra rest could do some good for someone such as Jose Berrios. He has been showcasing a concerning drop in velocity, negatively impacting his performance on the field. As shared by Mitch Bannon of The Athletic (subscription required), this has been a trend over the last few weeks.
“Right now, if we get an extra day, it’s going to be good,” Berríos said. “But, at the same time, we have to take care of our bullpen.”
Historically, he has averaged about 94 mph with his fastball. But in recent weeks, that number has been sitting below 93 mph. In his most recent outing against the Texas Rangers on Sunday, his fastball averaged 91.8 mph.
Berrios was dominant in June with a 1.97 ERA across five starts and 32 innings pitched. Since that point, his production has plummeted. In his last nine starts, the Blue Jays have managed to go 7-2, but without much help from him. He has a 5.68 ERA across 44.1 innings and a 5.62 FIP.
The drop in velocity could certainly be playing a factor. With his fastball less lively, the other pitches in his arsenal aren’t as effective. In turn, that makes him a little easier to hit, with 10 of his 22 home runs surrendered in 2025 coming during this most recent span.
Hard work is being put in. Berrios is making small mechanical adjustments with pitching coach Pete Walker to try and push his velocity back up to previous levels. If they can figure out what is missing, success shouldn’t be too far behind.
