Life is beyond beautiful for Chattanooga Lookouts starting pitcher Jose Berrios.
In his last few days as a 20-year-old, Berrios is happily married with a 1-year-old daughter. He is the top-rated pitching prospect in the Minnesota Twins organization and has more than a million dollars in the bank because of the signing bonus he received as a first-round draft pick in 2012.
"I pray to God for everything, and I'm always walking with him," Berrios said. "I love my daughter and I love my wife, and I get to play baseball. I'm healthy, and our team is on top of the standings.
"There is no bad for me right now."
That includes his performances on the mound, as the 6-foot, 187-pounder from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, leads the Southern League with 63 strikeouts. Through nine starts this season, the right-hander is 5-2 with a 2.89 ERA.
"For the most part, he's done what he's supposed to do," Lookouts manager Doug Mientkiewicz said. "He's got high expectations, and we've got high expectations of him, and he's handled it well. He has come a long way in a year, that's for sure.
"I had him at the beginning of last year, too, and he's a much better all-around pitcher."
Selected as the 32nd overall pick in 2012 -- the same draft in which the Twins took Lookouts center fielder Byron Buxton second overall -- Berrios signed for $1.55 million and made an immediate impact. He struck out 27 batters in 17 innings in the Gulf Coast League before striking out 49 in 31 innings in the Rookie League with Elizabethton.
Berrios was a Midwest League all-star with Cedar Rapids (Iowa) in 2013 and a Florida State League all-star last season, when he helped lead Fort Myers to a title with a 9-3 record and a 1.96 ERA. He began this year as the No. 33 prospect in minor league baseball, according to MLB.com; Baseball America listed him as No. 36.
Mientkiewicz credits Berrios' improved changeup as the reason he's better than ever.
"Last year, you could really tell when he was throwing it," Mientkiewicz said. "There were times when he telegraphed it, but he throws it with conviction now and throws it with confidence. He can throw it for a strike, and he can throw it for a swing-and-miss pitch. There have been times when I think he has fallen in love with it too much, but it's a weapon he has to have in his arsenal when he gets to the big leagues."
Said Berrios: "I have more command in my changeup and more confidence, and I use it every game. A fastball/changeup is a good mix for a pitcher."
Berrios earned his fifth win in Saturday night's 11-3 trampling of Mobile, allowing two runs in six innings while striking out five, and he is in line for for his third all-star team appearance in as many years.
"Jose knows that he can get good hitters out," Mientkiewicz said. "He trusts his stuff. He can get too cute at times, and he has so many weapons in his arsenal now that he forgets he can throw 95 miles per hour. He does everything well. He holds runners well. He fields his position about as good as it gets.
"He works his rear end off, and he's everything we want in this organization."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.