The next Edwin Diaz? Why Prelander Berroa can be the next great relief option for Seattle
The similarities are eerie, but can Prelander Berroa become the next great high leverage reliever for the Mariners?
In May of 2016, coming off of back-to-back Seattle Mariners Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year awards, pitcher Edwin Diaz was shockingly moved to the bullpen.
In May of 2023, the Mariners gave Prelander Berroa the same assignment following a Northwest League Pitcher of the Year campaign that saw him dominate all the way to Arkansas.
Berroa was acquired in an early season trade that was called the “worst of 2022” by an anonymous AL Scout. While the Giants are kicking themselves, Seattle is delighted to have received a gem, giving up only utility infielder Donovan Walton in the deal.
It isn’t likely Berroa will be the next Edwin Diaz, but the similarities are uncanny. Diaz was a young starter who found success at the lower levels with his ability to start but had some concerns about command, his frame, and his delivery as a starter.
Ultimately Seattle sat down with him and explained they felt it was best to proceed with him as a reliever both as his best position in the future and the quickest path to the big leagues.
After several years of dominance and a deal with the New York Mets to acquire Jarred Kelenic, I would say the decision has paid off for both Seattle and Diaz.
His fastball went from 90-94 as a starter to an easy 97-101, making his sharp slider even more effective.
Prelander Berroa doesn’t have the same slender frame or potential durability concerns as Diaz did, but the explosiveness of his stuff is similar. In 52 1/3 innings in Everett, he struck out an astounding 81 batters with 32 walks. He was then promoted to Arkansas where he pitched 35 innings, and struck out 53 batters with 25 walks.
As you can tell from these numbers, the 23-year-old reliever is a strikeout artist who struggles to find the zone. The Mariners are hoping a transition to the bullpen can free Berroa from fatigue and the repeatability of having to throw as many strikes and get him pounding the zone more often.
If he is in the strike zone his stuff is nearly unhittable. Armed with a fastball that could sit between 96-100 as a reliever and a deadly slider, putting the ball in the strike zone will almost certainly lead to massive success from the young reliever.
His fastball carries a tremendous ride through the zone, and his slider is a sharp downward pitch that confuses batters with a completely different movement profile than a normal slider.
Berroa has been scouted with between 30 and 40 grade control and command, both well below average grades. This has improved since joining the Mariners organization, and Seattle is hopeful these trends can continue.
In an interview with 710 ESPN Seattle Dipoto said, “If Prelander figures out command with the physical stuff he has, it changes the world for us.”
The Mariners have become the best in baseball at identifying relievers both in their own system and outside the organization. Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander have developed a strategy centered around identifying unique traits that they feel can be harnessed if used in a different manner.
Gabe Speier and Justin Topa are two great examples of this, as Seattle identified tremendous pitch qualities that just needed to be used in the zone more often.
The profile of Berroa is extremely similar to Matt Brash, one that certainly comes with risk. As tantalizing as the physical stuff can be, strikes must come first.
It’s hard not to think about a bullpen with Berroa, Brash, and their best reliever Andrés Muñoz returning from injury sometime in June.
When it comes to his arrival date, you may not have to wait long. Since joining the bullpen in Arkansas he has thrown three innings and posted five strikeouts with just one walk.
We should see him in Seattle by the end of May or early June. I was able to see him on the back fields and in games down in Peoria and let me tell you, he is as impressive as it gets.
Don’t confuse the move to the bullpen as a reactionary one, this was planned. Similar to Diaz just a few seasons ago, the Mariners are unleashing a weapon.