Berríos 'couldn't look any better' at Twins camp

MINNEAPOLIS -- It should surprise no one that José Berríos kept himself in peak physical and baseball condition while at home in Puerto Rico during the shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is the guy who posts YouTube videos of himself pushing trucks and sweating out rigorous beach workouts during his offseasons, after all.

As part of Berríos' schedule coordinated with pitching coach Wes Johnson, the Twins right-hander threw a bullpen session every Tuesday and faced hitters on Fridays.

In Puerto Rico, Berríos stayed fresh by squaring off against brother-in-law Javier Báez and a handful of amateur hitters. Needless to say, the level of competition skyrocketed on his first day of Summer Camp, when he faced the likes of Nelson Cruz, Marwin González, Josh Donaldson, Jorge Polanco and Mitch Garver in his first batting-practice session at Target Field.

"You know what? When you want to be the best, you need to face the best," Berríos said. "That's where we're at."

It shouldn't come as any surprise that all that preparation paid off.

"He couldn’t look any better," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "He looks like a bulldog. He looks like he might have put on a pound or two of rock-solid muscle on top of what he was working with already."

Berríos gave a hearty laugh when informed of his manager's glowing words about his physique.

"I can't tell," Berríos said. "I eat, too. I'm training, I'm spending time with my family, but at the same time, I did a little bit. I feel healthy. I feel strong. I have to take advantage of this season."

The 26-year-old threw around 45 pitches over three simulated innings on Friday night, flashing velocities of 95-96 mph in the first inning. That's a promising sign, considering both Berríos' long layoff from organized team activity and the fact that his fastball averaged only 93.1 mph last season.

Baldelli also couldn't have been more thrilled with the quality of Berríos' pitches, as the right-hander consistently worked in the strike zone, seemingly with little to no rust.

"I thought Berríos looked sharp," Donaldson said. "I was talking to [Cruz] about it. I was like, 'This guy was never a guy that I really enjoyed having at-bats off of.' He's very uncomfortable for a right-handed hitter."

Coming off another improved season in the Majors in which he surpassed 200 innings for the first time and posted a 3.68 ERA, Berríos was named Minnesota's Opening Day starter before Spring Training shut down in mid-March. Baldelli is not yet ready to name his starter for the rescheduled Opening Day on July 23 or 24, but Berríos should again lead that discussion.

Berríos said that he is "100 percent" sure that he and his teammates will be ready for Opening Day, even with only three weeks of camp. Baldelli gave a more measured answer, but the way Berríos sees it, all 30 MLB teams have similarly been sitting around for three-plus months.

Whenever Berríos is ready, it should help him that there will only be time for him to make 10-12 starts this season, as opposed to the normal allotment of about 32 for a starting pitcher over a full campaign. He has struggled throughout his career with maintaining his stamina in the second half, during which his ERA is more than a full run higher than in the first half.

If Berríos' fastball velocity on the first day of camp was any indication, he looks like he will be more than ready for the sprint of the 60-game regular season. And when it comes time for his first real start, he's already champing at the bit for the Twins to let him loose.

"If they let me throw a complete game, I will," Berríos said.