Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano received an award after a strong start out of the gates for the 2026 MLB season.
The Los Angeles Angels finished the month of April with a losing record, and playoff hopes are quickly vanishing in Anaheim.
However, there are some positive storylines.
One is the strong start for slugger Mike Trout, who has 10 home runs and 21 RBIs going into the first full week of May.
Another is the start from Opening Day starting pitcher Jose Soriano. Soriano has been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball and is already in the Cy Young conversation, even though it is still early in the season.
Soriano has a 5-1 record with a 0.84 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP, and he was named the American League Pitcher of the Month. Former Angels star and Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani won the award for the NL.
Soriano also joined an exclusive club that includes only Randy Johnson and Jered Weaver. He becomes the third pitcher to have 5+ wins in April with 49+ strikeouts and an ERA under 1.00.
Soriano, 27, is having the best season of his career by far, and it began early on.
Soriano threw eight innings, giving up just one run on three hits with 10 strikeouts against the Atlanta Braves on April 6.
Then, Soriano followed it up with three straight shutouts.
- April 12 vs. Reds: 7 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 10 Ks
- April 17 vs. Padres: 5.2 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 8 Ks
- April 22 vs. Blue Jays: 5 IP, 7 hits, 0 runs,, 4 Ks
He also had two shutout starts to begin the season.
- March 26 vs. Astros: 6 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 7 Ks
- March 31 vs. Cubs: 6 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 4 Ks
His last outing was against the Chicago White Sox, and Soriano went five innings, allowing three runs on six hits as he earned his first loss of the season.
However, Soriano still had an amazing start to the season, and there are so many stats he has set that are impressive for the 27-year-old.
As of May 4, the Angels are 13-22, which is the worst record in the American League by half a game, so there isn't a lot of excitement.
However, Soriano has accounted for nearly half of the team's wins early on, and that is something to look forward to.
Soriano takes the mound on Monday against the White Sox in Anaheim as he looks to continue his strong start to 2026.