There’s no denying the Toronto Blue Jays most valueable pitcher this season has been Jose Berrios.

Since he took the mound on opening day, Berrios has been excellent for the Blue Jays, even while dealing with some first half wobbles that saw him carry a 4.01 ERA into the All-Star Break. That number came during some struggles in the month before the mid-summer classic, where across six starts and 33 innings, he posted a 6.82 ERA.

But the break was just what Berrios needed, as a chance to re-charge saw him surge down the stretch. In his most recent 11 starts, he’s posted a 2.30 ERA while lowering his FIP from 5.13 to 3.88, and WHIP from 1.185 to 1.024, still increasing his strikeout rate from 17.8 percent to 22.8 percent. These improvements have seen Berrios post one of the best seasons of his career, carrying a career-low 3.38 ERA, even despite a 4.67 FIP that’s the worst number over a full-season. That first half wasn’t kind to him.

Heating up down the stretch has been great for the Jays, and the team hopes he’ll be able to carry that into next season, the third year of a seven-year deal he signed the winter after they acquired him in 2021. Berrios will continue to be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher for the Jays, but first, he’ll look to cap off Friday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins with a win.

First pitch: 7:07 p.m. EST.

TV & Radio: Sportsnet, SN590, TVA Sports.

Moneyline: TOR -225; MIA +185.
Spread: TOR -1.5 -105; MIA +1.5 -115.
Over/Under: o8 -120; u8 +100.

*Odds at the time of publishing. Odds subject to change.

Tune into the latest edition of Blue Jays Nation Radio as the crew talks about all the happenings in Toronto and beyond.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.