When José Soriano took the mound for the Los Angeles Angels in early April, the baseball world took notice as the right‑hander posted a 0.24 earned‑run average over his first six starts, a performance that hinted at a potential Cy Young contender.
Yet the narrative has shifted dramatically. In his 15th start of the 2026 campaign, Soriano’s ERA has climbed to 2.76, and the once‑dominant right‑hander is now wrestling with a series of command lapses that have inflated his walk rate and home‑run allowance.
The Turning Point
A closer look at the numbers reveals a walk percentage of 11.7 percent, up from his career norm of 10.8 percent, while his ground‑ball rate remains elite at 53.8 percent, placing him in the 91st percentile among starters. The juxtaposition of a high‑quality ground ball profile with rising walks underscores the paradox at the heart of his recent struggles.
Perhaps the most alarming trend is the spike in home runs. After surrendering just one homer in those opening six starts, Soriano has yielded eight long balls over his next eight outings, a rate that threatens to erode the gains he made in inducing weak contact.
Compounding the issue, the pitcher’s pitch counts have crept above the 100‑pitch threshold in several recent games, raising concerns about stamina and the sustainability of his workload as the season progresses.
The data also shows a curious pattern in his inning‑by‑inning performance. Soriano’s first‑inning ERA sits at 3.60, his second‑highest of the season, while his sixth‑inning ERA spikes to 10.13, suggesting that fatigue or mechanical adjustments may be surfacing later in his outings.
Veteran pitching coach Mike Maddux, who has worked with Soriano throughout the year, has emphasized the importance of tightening command and trimming the home‑run rate. “If he can get his fastball back to the corners and limit the walks, the rest of the repertoire will fall into place,” Maddux said in a recent interview.
The path forward for Soriano hinges on a few key adjustments. Reducing the walk percentage, maintaining a high ground‑ball rate, and keeping his pitch counts in check could restore the early‑season form that made him a dark‑horse Cy Young candidate. Whether the Angels’ front office will intervene with additional rest or a revised sequencing strategy remains to be seen.