How the Angels’ Newest Pitcher Fits in Their Rotation

In Rodriguez, they get a player under team control until 2030. He was ranked as the number 2 prospect in the Orioles system as recently as 2023. MLB Pipeline had this to say about Rodriguez in 2023: “Rodriguez has an outstanding four-pitch mix with the chance to have at least three plus pitches in his repertoire. His high-spin fastball touches triple digits, can sit easily in the mid-to-upper 90s deep into starts…” With this in mind, what does the 26-year-old right-hander have to offer in 2026?

What the Angels Can Expect from Grayson Rodriguez

Grayson Rodriguez is talent personified. While he may have question marks heading into next season, his ceiling is still that of a number one. When he was last healthy, his fastball sat at 96 MPH. He’s able to achieve this speed consistently due to his extension and release point. In this area, Rodriguez sits in the 97th percentile. Specifically, he has an extension point of 7.3 feet. With this, he is also able to achieve above-average whiff rates on both his slider and changeup. His changeup is the standout, though, as his whiff rate on that pitch is 34.8%. This would set him in the top 10 in the American League.

What makes all of this work is that Rodriguez still has pretty good control. In 2024, his walk rate was 7.3%, which would be in the 63rd percentile. If he were able to keep this performance up, he would have a better walk rate than any Angels starter not named Kyle Hendricks.

Now, of course, this may all be up in the air. As mentioned before, Grayson Rodriguez is coming off a significant injury and didn’t pitch at all in 2025. Will he be able to bounce back and return to form in a Halo uniform? His history seems to point to this being true.

In 2022, Rodriguez battled injuries, limiting him to just 70+ minor league innings. While this may have delayed his debut, he returned in 2023 to make his first big league appearance. It didn’t go well initially, as he was knocked around to the tune of a 7+ ERA in his first 10 starts. The Orioles sent him down, and when he came back up, he was a different pitcher. Rodriguez drastically improved his control, and in his final 13 starts put up a 2.58 ERA. All this to say that Rodriguez has the makeup to battle through adversity and injuries. While he may not look the same going into 2026, when he gets back to form, he will be the new ace of the Angels.

Taylor Ward Goes to Baltimore

The other half of this trade, of course, is Taylor Ward going to the Orioles. It’s long been rumored that the Angels were considering a trade of Ward or Jo Adell. In trading Ward, the Angels will lose a big bat, no doubt. In 2025, he hit 36 bombs to go alongside a .792 OPS. This production led him to a 116 OPS+. The Angels’ offensive output will take a hit, but it was probably for the best.

Ward will be a free agent after this season and didn’t seem likely to be an extension candidate. With him out of the picture, it clears the outfield logjam that was there. This allows Adell to move to left, and time to be split in right between Mike Trout and Jorge Soler. While there may not be many great options internally to play center field now, it creates room to keep Adell in the lineup. Expect the Angels to sign a defense-first outfielder, like Harrison Bader, in the coming weeks.