Honestly credit to him for putting up almost 10 WAR after he left us and all the drama surrounding his leg injuries, before being traded to the Yankees and turning into a pumpkin who’s also a headcase.
The 99 wasn’t really the issue, it was that he was nowhere near the zone last year. He’s still practically unhittable if he’s even half controlling his pitches.
Like, he wasn’t lights out. He did well relative to last year but didn’t get that many whiffs and missed his spot a few times that luckily didn’t get punished. It was about to be his third time through the order against a bunch of righties.
To be fair it would be the third time through the order and he has missed with a few of his pitches. I agree with you but I think it’s reasonable to take him out here and let him end it on a high note.
Who said Berrios isn’t? Aren’t there stories that he was in fact working with the team throughout the offseason? Sucking doesn’t mean not caring or not trying.
Man it’s just not that serious. If Berrios wants to represent his country in the WBC it’s not like he’s taking time off to sit on his couch. None of us know how hard Berrios has or hasn’t trained to overcome his struggles. Sometimes guys just suck and it has nothing to do with how hard they’re trying.
Also are we really giving a pass to Kikuchi? He could still be brutal no matter how much he “cares” or how much time he put in over the offseason.
Speculation on my part, but I bet they wanted to have both Kiermaier and Varsho starting today given the size of Kansas City’s outfield, so not even sure if Otto would’ve gotten the start for this one.
I mean arguably this is what allows him to have a good inning or two after every other blow up. Being emotionless is usually regarded as a positive trait for a pitcher since there’s a lot in the field that they have no control over after the pitch is released. He might just be as bewildered as everyone is that he’s blowing chunks given his track record and that the stuff is still good.