Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins ‘surprised’ by John Schneider’s Game 2 pitching decision

Even Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins was shocked by manager John Schneider’s quick hook of Jose Berrios during Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series. 

During an end-of-season press conference, Atkins touched on Schneider’s decision to take Berrios out of the game after just 47 pitches during Toronto’s 2-0 season-ending loss to the Minnesota Twins. 

“I was surprised he was coming out,” Atkins said, according to the Toronto Star. “But I understood the strategy and understood it would be uncomfortable. I thought it was a very courageous decision that had a potential outcome that people would be disappointed.”

Berrios, who posted a 3.65 ERA over 189 ⅔ innings this season, held the Twins scoreless through three innings before walking Royce Lewis to lead off the fourth. 

It was then that Schneider pulled the right-hander, bringing in southpaw Yusei Kikuchi. 

Kikuchi would not get the job done, allowing the next three batters to reach and two runs to score. 

Berrios, unsurprisingly, wasn’t keen on the decision. 

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Berrios said. “I can’t control that. I did my best [through] the first 12 batters, so it is what it is.”

Atkins said the Blue Jays aren’t “funneling info” into Schneider’s decision, appearing to imply that the pitching changed wasn’t influenced by the front office, according to Sportsnet.

Atkins and Berrios weren’t the only members of Blue Jays brass to be taken aback by the move.

Infielder Whit Merrifield said after that game that he “hated” the pitching change. 

“It’s not what cost us the game, but it’s the kind of baseball decisions that are taking away from managers and baseball, at this stage of the game,” Merrifield said.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.,who won the 2021 American League MVP, echoed the same sentiment. 

“Everybody was surprised with the decision, but there are things that you cannot control,” he said through an interpreter. “You can ask yourself many times, but it’s not our decision. We were surprised.”

Despite the questionable move and disappointing playoff elimination, Atkins said Schneider would return as the team’s manager in 2024.