Angels Starting Pitchers Are Last Standing to Accomplish Wild Feat in 2025

The Los Angeles Angels are the only team in MLB to use only five starters in the 2025 season.

The Angels have stuck with a rotation of Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano, Jack Kochanowicz, Tyler Anderson and Kyle Hendricks since Opening Day. The San Francisco Giants used their sixth starter of the year, Hayden Birdsong, Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals. The last team to use only five starters for a whole season was the 2003 Seattle Mariners.

“I think they have performed well,” Angels manager Ron Washington said of his starters. “We’ve certainly been getting innings out of them. Now we’re starting to get them into the sixth and seventh inning, and it’s been taking a lot of pressure off the bullpen.”

The Angels bullpen has an MLB-worst 6.48 ERA, but during the seven-game win streak the Angels have put together, they have a mark of 3.91. Angels starters have the fourth-most innings pitched during May with 113.2, and have a 3.56 ERA during that span.

“When you can get at least six innings, or when you can get 6.2 or seven innings, oh it’s like a dream night,” Washington said.

All Angels starters have pitched through six innings at least once in May. Every starter except Anderson has seen their ERA drop since the beginning of the month.

Although he is yet to record a win for the Halos, Kikuchi has been the star of the Angels rotation so far this season. He leads the starters in strikeouts (50), ERA (3.50) and ERA+ (119).

He isn't the only part of the rotation to impress, though, as Anderson is following up his 2024 All-Star campaign with another impressive showing. His 3.60 ERA is just shy of Kikuchi's mark, and although he has given up the most home runs on the team this year (10), he has given up the least hits per 9 innings (7.4) and the second-fewest runs (21) among the starters.

The Angels will hope their starters can continue to produce for them, as they are currently tied for third place in the AL West and have the longest win streak in baseball after sitting in last just a week ago. They will try to extend their streak as Kikuchi takes the mound in a series opener against the Miami Marlins at home Friday evening at 6:38 p.m. PT/9:38 p.m. ET.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.