José Orlando Berríos (born May 27, 1994), nicknamed "La Makina" (Spanish for "The Machine"), is a Puerto Rican professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
for the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB). He previously played for the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
, who selected him in the first round of the
2012 Major League Baseball draft.
Professional career
Minor Leagues (2012–2016)
The
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
selected Berríos in the first round of the
2012 Major League Baseball draft with the 32nd pick. He made his professional debut that season for the
Gulf Coast Twins of the Rookie-level
Gulf Coast League and was promoted to the
Elizabethton Twins
The Elizabethton Twins were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League and a Rookie-level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They were located in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and were named for their Major League Baseball, major league aff ...
of the
Rookie-level
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Collegiate summer baseball, collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wooden ...
in August. In 30.2 innings pitched between both teams, he was 3–0 with a 1.17 ERA, striking out 49.
During the 2013 season, Berríos played for the
Cedar Rapids Kernels of the
Class A Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
where he was 7–7 with a 3.99 ERA in 19 starts. Berríos started 2014 with the
Fort Myers Miracle of the
Class A-Advanced
High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...
Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
. He was selected to play in the
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
in July. After going 9–3 with a 1.96 ERA in 16 starts, he was promoted to the
New Britain Rock Cats
The New Britain Rock Cats were a minor league baseball team that competed in the Eastern League (1938–2020), Eastern League. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for 12 years, the Minnesota Twins for 20 years and the Colorado ...
of the
Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...
Eastern League on July 7. In eight starts for New Britain, he pitched to a 3–4 record and 3.54 ERA. He also played in one game for the
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Fie ...
of the
Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
at the end of the season.
Berríos began the 2015 season with the
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...
of the Class AA
Southern League and received another midseason promotion to Rochester. In 27 combined starts between the two clubs, he posted a 14–5 record and a 2.87 ERA. He started the 2016 season with Rochester.
[
]
Minnesota Twins (2016–2021)
2016
The Twins promoted Berríos to make his major league debut on April 27, 2016. In 18 innings pitched for Rochester prior to his promotion, he was 2–0 with a 1.06 ERA and 20 strikeouts. He was recalled and optioned multiple times during the season. In 14 starts for Minnesota, he was 3–7 with an 8.02 ERA, and in 17 starts for Rochester, he was 10–5 with a 2.51 ERA.
2017
Berríos began 2017 with Rochester. After going 3–0 with a 1.13 ERA in six starts there, he was promoted to the Twins on May 13, where he spent the remainder of the season. In 26 games (25 starts) with Minnesota, he was 14–8 with a 3.89 ERA.
2018: All-Star season
Berríos began 2018 in Minnesota's starting rotation and made his first start of the 2018 season on April 1, 2018. He pitched a complete game three-hit shutout (the first of his career) against the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
, with 6 strikeouts, leading the Twins to a 7–0 win. Berrios tied his career high 11 strikeouts on April 12, 2018, in a 4–0 win over the Chicago White Sox. On April 18, 2018, Berríos finished with five strikeouts and no walks in seven scoreless innings for Minnesota in a game played in his native Puerto Rico before a sold-out crowd at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Berrios became only the second Puerto Rican pitcher to start a regular-season MLB game at Hiram Bithorn; the first being Javier Vazquez, who made four starts there in 2003 with the Montreal Expos. His second career complete game came on June 7 against the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
, he became the 9th Twins
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two e ...
pitcher to pitch a complete game and strikeout at least 10 batters without allowing a walk.
Owning an 8–7 record with a 3.54 ERA over 18 starts, Berríos was named to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. He was the only representative selected from the Twins to participate in the All-Star Game. In the All-Star Game, Berríos pitched one scoreless 5th inning, earning a hold in the game. Berríos finished the season with 12–11 record with a 3.84 ERA and 202 strikeouts over 32 starts, leading the league in complete games and complete game shutouts.
2019: Second All-Star season
On March 5, 2019, it was reported that Berrios would start opening day against the Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. He went innings and had 10 strikeouts while not allowing a run. He received the win and the Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
won 2–0.
On July 3, 2019, it was announced that Berríos would participate in the 2019 MLB All-Star Game. He finished the season with a 14–8 record with 3.68 ERA and 195 strikeouts in innings pitched.
2020
With the 2020 Minnesota Twins, Berríos appeared in 12 games, compiling a 5–4 record with a 4.00 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 63.0 innings pitched during the shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
2021
With the 2021 Minnesota Twins, Berríos appeared in 20 games, compiling a 7–5 with a 3.48 ERA and 126 strikeouts in innings pitched.
Toronto Blue Jays
On July 30, 2021, Berrios was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
in exchange for Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson. Berríos appeared in 12 games for Toronto, compiling a 5–4 with 3.58 ERA and 78 strikeouts in innings pitched.
On November 16, 2021, Berríos agreed to a seven-year, $131 million extension with the Blue Jays. The deal was made official on November 18, 2021.
In 2022, he was 12–7 with a 5.23 ERA, as hitters batted .288 against him with a .804 OPS, the highest average and OPS in MLB against any qualified pitcher.
On April 3, 2023, Berrios made his 2023 season debut against the Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
pitching allowing nine hits and eight earned runs
In baseball, an earned run is any Run (baseball), run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the ...
. He had a 10–0 record in his first thirteen career starts against the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
until a 5–3 loss at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, commonly known as Camden Yards, is a ballpark in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s Baltimore Orioles, and the first of the Baseball park#Retro-classic ballparks, "retro" major le ...
on August 24. He ended the season at 11-12 with a 3.65 ERA with 184 strikeouts in innings pitched.
With the 2024 Toronto Blue Jays, Berríos appeared in 32 games, compiling a 16–11 with 3.60 ERA and 153 strikeouts in innings pitched.
On March 27, 2025, Berrios made his 2025 season by becoming the starting pitcher on Opening Day against the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
. He had a rough outing as the starting pitcher, where he pitched five innings, allowed nine hits and six runs while walked two batters and struck out five. On April 7, he got his 100th career win as a pitcher as he pitched seven innings, allowed four hits and one run while walking three batters and striking out two batters against the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. He becomes the fifth Puerto Rican-born pitcher to win 100 MLB games.
International career
World Baseball Classic
Berríos has played for the Puerto Rican national team twice, in the 2013 World Baseball Classic
The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009.
Unlike the tw ...
and in the 2017 World Baseball Classic
The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts wer ...
, winning in both tournaments the silver medal. In October 2022, it was announced that Berrios intended to represent Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic for a third time in 2023.
Personal life
Berríos is married to Jannieliz Márquez. They have two sons and one daughter. Berríos' wife Jannieliz is the sister of Irmarie Márquez, who is married to Javier Báez
Ednel Javier "Javy" Báez (born December 1, 1992), nicknamed "El Mago" (Spanish for "the Magician"), is a Puerto Rican professional baseball Utility player (baseball), utility player for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has ...
, an infielder for the Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
.
Philanthropy
During the offseason, Berríos went to his hometown of Bayamón and delivered water, food, and other supplies to people in need as a consequence of Hurricane Maria
Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the ...
which caused massive damage to Puerto Rico in September 2017.
See also
* List of Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berrios, Jose
1994 births
Living people
American League All-Stars
Baseball players from Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico
Major League Baseball pitchers
Minnesota Twins players
Toronto Blue Jays players
Gulf Coast Twins players
Elizabethton Twins players
Cedar Rapids Kernels players
Fort Myers Miracle players
New Britain Rock Cats players
Rochester Red Wings players
Chattanooga Lookouts players
2013 World Baseball Classic players
2017 World Baseball Classic players
2023 World Baseball Classic players