José Soriano has gone from a useful arm to one of the most overpowering pitchers in the game. Through nine starts, he has a 1.66 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and 61 strikeouts in 54.1 innings, a run that has put him at six wins and pushed him into a class that few saw coming.
The right-hander is striking out 28.4% of the batters he faces, and the stuff behind those numbers is just as loud. Soriano is throwing a four-seamer at 97.7 mph, a sinker at 96.8 mph, a hard curveball at 85.7 mph against right-handed hitters and a split-fingered fastball at 92.7 mph to left-handers. His slider has been a minor part of the mix at 5.4%, while the four-seamer, sinker and curveball are each getting roughly 24% to 28% of his pitches.
That is the kind of profile that makes the numbers look earned, not accidental. His curveball is producing a 44.4% whiff rate, the splitter 45.8%, the four-seamer 19.8% and the sinker 27.1%. The curveball also carries 12.5 inches of glove-side movement, giving Soriano a pitch that can finish at-bats even when hitters know it is coming.
What has changed is not just velocity but shape and intent. Pitching coach Mike Maddux altered Soriano’s pitch mix, and the result is a more complete starter who can work deeper into games. His four-seamer usage has jumped from 9% in 2025 to its current level, and the broader adjustment has helped him hold opponents in check while still missing bats at a high rate.
There is one part of the profile that keeps this from looking like a fluke: the power. The only pitcher whose overall power profile comes close to Soriano is Paul Skenes, and that is not a comparison thrown around lightly. Soriano’s groundball rate has also fallen from 65.3% last year to just under 50% in 2026, but the tradeoff has been a deeper arsenal that is still producing swing-and-miss on multiple pitches. His success has come despite the Los Angeles Angels’ offensive, defensive and bullpen problems, which have made every quality start more valuable.
For fantasy players, the appeal is plain. Soriano was likely drafted in the mid-200 range in redraft leagues, but he is now playing like someone who belongs in a top-30 to top-6 discussion rather than on the wire. He is a player to hang onto in redraft leagues and a player to hang onto in dynasty leagues, especially for managers who value innings, strikeouts and a starter who is giving length every time out. His early-season surge looks less like a hot streak than a new baseline.
