Jose Soriano’s Massive Improvement-0.24 ERA In Six Starts

One month through the season, Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano has looked like the best pitcher in baseball.

Soriano was named the Angels’ Opening Day starter, their third different opening day starter since losing Shohei Ohtani in free agency. Despite this, Soriano didn’t have high expectations entering the season.

In 2025, Soriano had a 4.26 ERA in 31 starts. His one bright spot was the lack of home runs he gave up. He gave up just 12 home runs in 2025, the lowest rate among qualifying starters.

Soriano has always been able to throw hard, with an average fastball of 97 miles per hour. However, he allowed too many base runners. In 2025, he allowed eight hits per nine and four walks per nine.

This season, he’s changed his strategy on the mound. He uses his fastball more while using his sinker less. This has helped him throw more strikes, reducing his walks per nine from four to three.

More importantly, it’s made him harder to hit. He has just four hits per nine, the best hits per nine in the American League. The increased reliance on his fastball has led to his strikeout percentage rising from 21% in 2025 to 30% in 2026. The more selective use of his sinker has caused hitters to be under his pitches more. In 2025, only 8.6% of contact off Soriano was considered under. In 2026, that number has risen to 18%. 

The Angels have a 12-17 record this season. However, they have a 6-0 record when Soriano starts, including Soriano getting the win in five of those starts. 

Despite the Angels’ struggles, they’ve had good performances from many players. Soriano has a 0.24 ERA, Mike Trout has a .961 OPS, Zach Neto has a .360 on-base percentage, and Oswald Peraza has a .280 batting average.