DUNEDIN, Fla. -- When José Berríos signed a seven-year extension with the Blue Jays in November 2021, this is what he and the organization envisioned. 

Berríos got the Opening Day start in 2022, but it wasn’t one to remember. Berríos recorded just one out that day against the Rangers, and his season snowballed from there, ending in a 5.23 ERA that felt so far away from the pitcher who had built a reputation as one of baseball’s safest bets. 

Now, he’s back. Berríos is coming off a fantastic season in 2023, one that reestablished him as the pitcher we’ve known for years. With Kevin Gausman still building up after some right shoulder fatigue slowed him earlier in camp, the door opened for Berríos to step back into the Opening Day role. 

“I thank God that I have this opportunity to throw on the first day of the season,” Berríos said. “I think this is my fourth, my second with the Blue Jays. I also have on my mind that I want to do better than the one I did before with the Blue Jays. That’s obviously my plan, my goal. This is a pleasure. I am so happy and I know that my family and teammates are happy. They have congratulated me already, and I feel really proud.”

Mornings like Tuesday are one of the perks of the job for John Schneider. Beyond telling a player they’re being called up to the big leagues, handing a pitcher the Opening Day job is one of the best conversations a manager can have. 

“When you look at our rotation, there are a lot of capable guys to take that spot at," Schneider said. "With where Kevin is, in terms of how he’s ramping up, it could be Jose, it could be Chris, it could be Yusei. It could be a lot of different guys. With Jose, it’s just about his body of work over his whole career, last season, the offseason, this spring with how he’s throwing the ball. With who we’re facing in Tampa, we feel really good about him being out there on the first day.”

Even through the difficult 2022 season, Schneider and the Blue Jays’ organization had Berríos’ back. The reputation he’s built across baseball isn’t just due to his pitching, but also who he is off the field and in the clubhouse. 

There’s also something so fitting to Berríos getting the first crack at turning the page on 2023, given that he was at the center of the huge decision in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series, when he was yanked after three dominant innings in a move that eventually backfired on the Blue Jays. Berríos handled that admirably, from the moment the clubhouse opened to the media following the loss right up through to today. He and the organization have spoken about the decision, and Berríos, as much as anyone, is ready to move forward and change the narrative.

“He embodies what we talk about when we’re talking about stuff, durability, being a good teammate, professionalism,” Schneider said. “I was thrilled to give him that news.”

The Blue Jays are going to need more than a hot start to shake off the ghosts of 2023, though. This club has reached the AL Wild Card Series in three of the past four seasons and been swept each time, so as much as in-season improvements can be encouraging, it’s all about success in October at this point. That’s what this roster is built for, and with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette entering their final two years of club control, the window isn’t getting any bigger.

“We have the group. We have the talent. We know we can do a lot of good things,” Berríos said. “But the one thing I like most is the experience, the knowledge. Now, we are more grown as men.”

A year ago, Berríos’ consistency blended in because the entire rotation did the same. Chris Bassitt threw 200 innings, Gausman threw 185 and Kikuchi threw 167 2/3. Even when Alek Manoah was sent down, the rotation survived and Hyun Jin Ryu eventually rode in to save the day. There was so little unrest. 

This year already feels different, given Manoah’s expected trip to the IL to start the season and Gausman being just a bit behind schedule. The Blue Jays need reliability more than ever in this rotation, and that’s their Opening Day starter’s specialty.  

Some good press for Toronto: It ranked No. 3 in MLB.com’s recent anonymous player poll, coming in behind only San Diego and Chicago for the best road city in baseball. 

“It's the best city,” said one player. “If you ask around, I'm going to tell you, guys are going to say Toronto. Especially if they've been in the league for a little bit.”

The more you travel around Major League Baseball, the more you appreciate the location of Rogers Centre. Visiting teams typically stay downtown and can walk to the stadium in the early afternoon, if they choose. This isn’t the case in many cities, and the freedom and walkability offered by Toronto’s downtown core came up from plenty of players. 

Saturday featured the first Spring Breakout game for the Blue Jays, facing the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The 9-1 loss wasn’t exactly the result the Blue Jays wanted, but these games were meant to showcase each organization’s top prospects, all in one place, to give you a glimpse of the future. 

You can catch up on the top Blue Jays moments right here, from Arjun Nimmala’s first steps into the spotlight to Addison Barger’s eye-popping arm strength and Dasan Brown’s dazzling defense. 

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