The Angels southpaw is dominating the diamond, utilizing a devastating slider-curveball combo to post a league-leading post-break ERA and cement his status as an elite starting pitcher.
Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers delivered another eye-catching outing Tuesday night, tossing six innings of one-hit ball while striking out nine batters. For his efforts, the southpaw earned his fifth win of the year – a number that criminally undermines his performance this season.
Detmers survived a trade deadline in which he was one of the most intriguing starters available, ultimately staying in Anaheim while teammate Jose Soriano ended up being dealt instead. The Halos have reaped the rewards of keeping Detmers, as he’s allowed just six runs over his seven starts since the August 3 deadline.
With last night’s win, Detmers’ season ERA drops to 3.32, which places him in the top 20 of baseball among qualified starters. When looking at the numbers after the All-Star break, there is no pitcher above Detmers with his 1.37 ERA in nine starts.
It’s not exactly the case that Detmers has popped out of nowhere, but his emergence as an All-Star-caliber player this season has been a bit of a surprise to some. The former first-round pick has flashed his ceiling at times, especially when he threw a no-hitter back in 2022, but he hadn’t put it all together before as he has in 2026.
Coming back into a rotational role after a move to the bullpen last season, Detmers showed no signs of rust and gave the Angels no chance to move him back into a relief role. So, what has Detmers changed over the past year that has made him one of the best left-handers in the league?
The biggest factor in Detmers’ success in 2026 is the effectiveness of his slider. The 27-year-old added 1.2 inches of drop and 0.8 inches of break to his second-highest-usage pitch from last season, making it one of the best sliders in all of baseball.
When compared to his last season as a starter in 2024, the difference in Detmers’ slider is even more pronounced. Rising 0.5 inches in 2024 compared to nearly 4.0 inches of drop this season, his slider has been drawing whiffs at a rate of over 35%.
It isn’t just his slider that’s been lethal, however, as Detmers’ curveball has made for a devastating pair of breaking pitches in his arsenal. His curveball has held batters to a .190 batting average with an even higher 38.2 whiff rate.
The breaking-pitch duo of his slider and curveball has led to Detmers placing in the 99th percentile in breaking-pitch run value this season, aiding him in reaching the 97th percentile in pitching run value overall. Detmers’ fastball isn’t particularly amazing, but his breaking pitches are what have led to his jump into an All-Star-caliber player.
The Angels provided the runs tonight for Detmers, but his low win total for the year doesn't begin to tell the story of the strides he has made in 2026. With new ownership on the horizon and Detmers still under team control for another two seasons, Angels fans should be thanking their lucky stars that their southpaw stayed in Anaheim past the deadline. Let’s hope the front office doesn’t pull anything stupid in the winter.
