Soriano unleashes a historic season start, dominating opponents with his powerful arm. He's quickly becoming the Angels' undeniable ace.
The Los Angeles Angels took two of three games in Cincinnati versus the Reds, but one player is stealing all the headlines after his performance in the deciding third game of the series.
Right-handed pitcher Jose Soriano made his fourth start of the season on Sunday against Cincinnati, and he walked away with his fourth win after yet another stellar outing to start the 2026 campaign. Soriano went for seven innings, where he allowed just two hits, three walks, struck out 10 batters, and held the Reds to zero runs.
Though the final scoreline of 9-6 may take away some of the shine from Soriano’s day, when the 27-year-old was on the mound, the Angels were in full control of the game.
At this point in the year, Soriano’s performance isn't even a surprise anymore. Soriano has now thrown 27 innings on the year with a 0.33 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts.
He is now the first Angels pitcher to start the year with four wins in his first four starts since Jered Weaver in 2011. No other pitcher in American League history has pitched at least six innings with one or fewer runs allowed and three or fewer hits allowed in each of his first four games of a season.
Now with four dominant games under his belt, there isn’t much validity to any claims of it just being a hot start – Soriano looks like the real deal. He hasn’t pitched against low-tier teams, either. Before the Reds on Sunday, Soriano was lights out against the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros.
It may be hard to believe, especially for Halos fans, but the Angels look to finally have another ace playing in their uniform. After being known as a team with poor pitching for over a decade now, Soriano is a much-needed breath of fresh air.
Don’t get it twisted, however. The Angels still definitely have a pitching problem as a whole, but Soriano has been a guaranteed win every time he steps out on the mound this season, even if the bullpen tried its hardest to ruin that on Sunday. For a team with an incredibly shaky, thin starting rotation, a guaranteed win every five games cannot be overstated.
Soriano should be back on the mound when the Angels return to Southern California at the end of the week to take on the San Diego Padres in Anaheim. Surprisingly enough, the only run he’s allowed this year was at Angel Stadium, so he’ll be looking to change that against a star-studded Padres lineup this weekend.
For now, Angels fans can enjoy the series win over the Reds, thanks in part to Soriano, as the Angels head to New York to take on the 8-7 Yankees. With an 8-8 record heading into the series, the Angels will have to bring their best to keep fighting for first place in the AL West.