José Soriano’s path to becoming a reliable and potentially dominant major league pitcher has been anything but smooth. His story is one defined by perseverance, setbacks, adjustments, and ultimately, growth. After years of battling injuries and inconsistency, it now appears that Soriano is finally realizing the potential that scouts once saw in him as a young prospect.
His recent emergence not only represents a personal triumph but also places the Los Angeles Angels in a fascinating and somewhat complicated position as they evaluate both their present competitiveness and their future direction.
From the beginning, Soriano possessed the kind of raw talent that organizations covet. Even in his teenage years, he demonstrated an ability to throw in the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball, complemented by secondary pitches that hinted at a high ceiling. However, while the raw tools were undeniable, there were lingering concerns about whether he could harness them effectively.
During his early minor league career between 2016 and 2018, Soriano accumulated 155 2/3 innings across Rookie ball and Low-A. On the surface, his 2.89 ERA suggested strong performance, but a deeper look revealed some inconsistencies. His strikeout rate of 19.3% was respectable but not overwhelming, while a 12.7% walk rate pointed to control issues that limited his overall dominance.
In 2019, Soriano showed some improvement in his ability to miss bats, but that progress came with an increase in walks, highlighting the ongoing challenge of refining his command. Unfortunately, just as he seemed to be making strides, his career was derailed by injury.
In February 2020, Soriano underwent Tommy John surgery, a major procedure that would sideline him for an extended period. The timing could not have been worse, as the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the minor league season that year. Even without the pandemic, Soriano would have been focused on rehabilitation, but the lost season further delayed his development.
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Despite these setbacks, another organization saw enough promise to take a chance on him. In November 2020, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Soriano with the first overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft. This move reflected a belief that his upside was worth the risk, even as he recovered from surgery. The expectation was that he would eventually return to form and contribute at the major league level.
However, his comeback was short-lived. In May 2021, Soriano began a rehab assignment, but after just two appearances, he experienced renewed discomfort in his elbow. This led to a second Tommy John surgery in June 2021, compounding the difficulties he had already faced. By the end of that season, the Pirates returned him to the Angels, effectively ending their experiment.
Soriano’s road back to the mound continued to be slow and uncertain. He missed the majority of the 2022 season but managed to make a handful of minor league appearances late in the year. Those outings were enough to convince the Angels that he still had significant potential. Wanting to protect him from another Rule 5 selection, the team added him to their 40-man roster in November 2022, signaling their commitment to his development.
In 2023, the Angels opted to use Soriano as a reliever, a logical decision given that he had effectively missed three full seasons due to injuries. The goal was to ease him back into competition while managing his workload. Across the minors and majors, he logged a total of 65 1/3 innings that year. His performance in the big leagues was encouraging.
He posted a 3.64 ERA, showcasing his ability to be effective against major league hitters. While his walk rate remained high at 12.4%, this was somewhat understandable given the long layoff and the need to regain his command. More impressively, he struck out 30.3% of the batters he faced and generated ground balls at a 51% rate, indicating that his stuff was still highly effective.
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Heading into the 2024 season, the Angels faced a decision regarding Soriano’s role. They could have kept him in the bullpen, where he had already shown success, but instead chose to give him another opportunity as a starting pitcher.
In hindsight, this decision appears to have been a pivotal one. Soriano managed to stay relatively healthy throughout the season, though he did encounter a couple of minor setbacks, including a stint on the injured list due to an abdominal infection and another late-season absence caused by arm fatigue.
Despite these interruptions, he made 22 appearances and threw 113 innings, finishing with a solid 3.42 ERA. His strikeout rate (20.7%) and walk rate (9.6%) were not exceptional, but he excelled at inducing ground balls, doing so at an impressive 59.7% rate.
Soriano took another step forward in 2025, further solidifying his place in the Angels’ rotation. His durability improved, as his only trip to the injured list came late in the season after he was struck by a comebacker, resulting in a contusion. Over the course of the year, he made 31 starts and logged 169 innings, demonstrating his ability to handle a full starter’s workload.
While his ERA rose to 4.26, his underlying metrics remained consistent with the previous season. He posted a 21% strikeout rate and a 10.8% walk rate while continuing to generate an elite ground ball rate of 65.3%. This ground ball-heavy approach was a defining characteristic of his pitching style, largely driven by his frequent use of a sinker.
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Throughout his major league career, Soriano’s velocity has remained a significant asset, often sitting in the upper 90s. However, his reliance on the sinker contributed to his ground ball tendencies, making him one of the league leaders in that category. While this approach was effective in limiting damage, it did not necessarily maximize his strikeout potential.
In 2026, Soriano appears to have made a critical adjustment that is elevating his performance to a new level. He has significantly altered his pitch mix, reducing his sinker usage from 49.1% in 2025 to 30.5% this season. In its place, he has increased his use of the four-seam fastball, which has jumped from just 8.6% last year to 23.4% in 2026. Additionally, he has incorporated more splitters, sliders, and curveballs into his repertoire. These changes have made him less predictable and more difficult for hitters to handle.
The early results of this adjustment have been remarkable. Through his first four starts of the 2026 season, spanning 27 innings, Soriano has allowed just one earned run, resulting in an astonishing 0.33 ERA. While some of this success can be attributed to favorable factors, such as a low batting average on balls in play (.143) and a perfect strand rate, the underlying metrics suggest that his improvement is genuine.
He is still generating ground balls at a strong rate (60.7%), but his strikeout rate has surged to 32%, indicating a more dominant overall performance. Advanced metrics such as his 2.33 FIP and 2.73 SIERA further support the idea that he has taken a significant step forward.
For the Angels, Soriano’s breakout is a major positive development. The team has struggled for much of the past decade and entered the 2026 season with reduced payroll, making it essential for internal players to exceed expectations. In addition to Soriano’s emergence, the team has benefited from strong performances by several other players, including a resurgent Mike Trout, a hot start from Oswald Peraza, and a successful transition back to the rotation for Reid Detmers.
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Despite these encouraging signs, the Angels remain a team in flux. With a 10-10 record, they are hovering around .500, which is often enough to stay in the playoff race given the expanded postseason format. However, recent history suggests caution. The Angels have frequently started seasons well only to fade as the year progresses, often due to a lack of depth.
If the team finds itself out of serious contention by midseason, Soriano could become a highly intriguing trade candidate. Due to the quirks of his career timeline, including time spent on the injured list during his Rule 5 stint, he entered the 2026 season with over three years of service time. As a result, he is on track to reach free agency after the 2028 season. This gives the Angels control over him for two-plus more years, making him an attractive asset for other teams.
Trading a pitcher like Soriano would not be an easy decision, but there would be a compelling argument for doing so. A young, effective starter with multiple years of team control could command a significant return, particularly if he continues to perform at a high level. Given his history of injuries, there is also a case for selling high while his value is at its peak.
Other teams have successfully employed this strategy in recent years, dealing talented but injury-prone pitchers in exchange for prospects and young talent. These moves have helped replenish farm systems and build a foundation for future success. For the Angels, whose farm system is currently ranked among the weakest in the league by several evaluators, such an approach could be particularly beneficial.
However, this would represent a departure from the organization’s typical philosophy. The Angels have historically been reluctant to engage in full-scale rebuilding efforts, often choosing to prioritize immediate competitiveness over long-term planning. This approach has led to missed opportunities in the past, including the decision not to trade Shohei Ohtani for a substantial prospect haul. Instead, the team has frequently attempted to remain competitive by making short-term additions and fast-tracking players to the majors.
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As a result, the Angels find themselves at a crossroads. If they remain in contention, they may choose to hold onto Soriano and push for a playoff berth, something they have not achieved since 2014. On the other hand, if they fall out of the race, trading players like Soriano, Detmers, Peraza, Zach Neto, and Jo Adell could help reshape the organization’s future.
Ultimately, Soriano’s emergence is an unequivocal positive for the Angels. The challenge lies in how they choose to leverage this development. Whether they use it as a springboard for a playoff push or as an opportunity to build for the future remains to be seen. Either path carries risks and potential rewards, but after years of stagnation, the hope is that this time, the organization will make decisions that lead to sustained success.
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