State of the Los Angeles Angels Rotation

The Los Angeles Angels enter the 2026 season once again with major changes to their rotation. Of the five pitchers who made more than five starts, only two are projected to make the rotation out of spring, and we’ll get to them in just a bit.

However, the Angeles approach to filling out the remaining spots has changed. Instead of leaning on older veterans past their prime, the Angels have pivoted towards the reclamation route adding Grayson Rodriguez, Alek Manoah, and bringing Reid Detmers back from the bullpen.

Joining the top five are depth options with upside. Familiar faces who were called up too early, struggled, returned to the minors, and now will get a second chance to prove their worth. And if you ask me, a fairer chance to succeed.

There are as many questions as there are opportunities. Will Soriano put it all together and show his full potential over an entire season? Does the success Detmers found in the bullpen translate back to the rotation? What does Rodriguez look like after the injuries? Will Manoah, or any of the prematurely promoted prospects blossom into a viable option?

Today I’ll dive into each of these players, the potential roles, and who to keep an eye on in 2026.

Do the Angels Have a True No. 1….or No. 2?

I think we can all agree the Angels do not have anyone worthy of the title “Ace.” Every rotation has a player that will assume the number one and number two spots in a rotation, but do they truly fit what we view to be a truly one or two?

Yusei Kikuchi is a valuable veteran that this rotation needs – a high floor, innings eater, that gives you about what you would expect year in and year out. He earned his contract piggybacking off a great 2024 season but struggled to replicate the same success in 2025.

The strikeouts regressed in a major way and the the command faltered. Still, a 3.99 ERA and 4.23 FIP is great for the Angeles rotation, but you wouldn’t want it atop of the rotation. The slider command was iffy in 2025, which lead to a lot of hard contact, and the four-seamer dipped in velocity. At this point, he’s a middle-to-back of the rotation profile.

The number two spot will be filled by José Soriano, who has the upside to be a true number two starter, but will need to put it all together in the coming campaign. Everything starts with his sinker, a 97 mph offering with elite movement that propelled him to become the best groundball pitcher in the game.

Pair that sinker with a curveball and a splitter, each which produced a 40% whiff rate or better, and you have the makings of a legitimate stud. The issue has been command. Soriano’s four-seamer has started to be phased out, which is probably for the best, but finding a more true third pitch could help him take off.

Even if Soriano remains mostly sinker/curveball he can find success. The issue is the Angels infield defense has been weak which is why his ERA (4.26) was so far off from his FIP (3.73) in 2025. I do think Soriano has what it takes to be a number two, but 2026 is a pivotal season in showing his command has improved enough to establish him as a top two in a rotation.

And then there’s the upside of Rodriguez. A 26-year-old former top prospect that has posted a 4.11 ERA, 3.80 FIP, and 9.77 K/9 through 43 career starts is somehow flying under the national radar.

Missing some or most of each of the past two years hurt his development, but we are still looking at a mid-to-upper 90s fastball with secondary pitches that generate more than enough swing and miss. Everything you need to develop into a front-line starter is there and the improvements between his rookie year and second season, across the board, have me bullish on Rodriguez.

You have to wonder why Baltimore, a team needing more upside pitching, was willing to move on for one year of Taylor Ward. Do they know something we don’t? Either way, this is the type of swing the Angels have not taken nearly enough in years past. Of the three names listed here, I’m highest on Rodriguez.

Reid Detmers Gets a Second Chance with Much to Prove

I don’t want to come off as overly negative, but I’m hesitant to buy into the idea of moving Detmers back to the rotation. Injuries stunted his development and pushed him to the bullpen last year, where we saw him pitch to the best of his abilities.

If you could simply shift that production to the rotation, that would be great! But, I struggle to see a path where the results mirror each other. In the bullpen we saw a two mph jump in his fastball velocity leading to a 31% whiff rate and significantly better results.

In relief, we saw saw a jump in his slider velocity allowing the two to work off each other better resulting in Detmers finding his best success since joining the Angeles. How will this look when he is stretched out across several innings and the velocity returns to his starter norms?

Command has been an issue whether he’s pitching out of the bullpen or in the rotation. Working through the order multiple times compared to shorter stints out of the bullpen will also be a challenge. I understand why they move him back, a high IVB fastball, a slider that gets swing and miss, and a big curveball could make for a plus starter. But, we still need to see that come true.

I’m not sure how long the leash will be. If Detmers were to get off to a slow start and the same struggles from his time as a starter creep back up will they move him to the bullpen? I would hope so. I would say this is his last chance to prove himself as a starter, at least in the Angels organization.

The Fifth Spot Is Wide Open

Having the fifth spot in the rotation of a rebuilding team wide open is actually not a bad thing at all. I would much rather see a number of young arms battle it out instead of Kyle Hendricks fill innings. With so many options, and few with much proof of success, it’s hard to say who exactly will blossom; but surely someone will…right?

Let’s start with Manoah. The guy who looked like he was tracking towards a front-of-the-rotation arm in Toronto before having everything go south over the past three seasons. After missing most of 2025, I’ll be intrigued to see how Manoah looks now healthy and given a fresh start in a new organization.

He was never a high-velocity arm, and relied on a sinker and slider to round out his pitch mix and keep batters off balance. Well, the command has been non-existent for a few years now making rostering him difficult for Toronto, ultimately leading to him hitting waivers.

Manoah is a reclamation project at this point and one that I like to see the Angels bring into camp, but one that I hope they are not married to.

Next we’ll talk about two righties who have each reached the majors but haven’t reached their full potential. Jack Kochanowicz was brutal in 2025, making 23 starts pitching to the tune of a 6.81 ERA and 6.05 FIP. He walked batters nearly as often as he struck them out and showed very little to build off of heading in 2026. I’m sure there will be a number of drastic changes in hopes of unlocking his potential.

Caden Dana comes with a higher ceiling and floor. The fastball has enough velocity and a solid enough movement profile to keep him in a rotation while the secondaries will determine how good he can be. I like the slider and think his curveball has potential but one of those two will need to stand out in order to neutralize lefty batters.

I see Dana as the type of pitcher that succeeds off command and sequencing more than stuff alone. That’s not a knock in any way. Those profiles often last a long time in this league.

Now, let’s shift our focus to a southpaw in Mitch Farris. The 25 year-old lefty came over via trade from Atlanta and impressed in Double-A before getting five starts in the majors. Farris throws a four-seamer, changeup, and slider all of which produced a 23% whiff rate or better in a small sample.

You’ll notice a theme with some of the Angels depth options. Low velocity, spotty command, and a heavy reliance on soft contact. Farris has shown an ability to rack up strikeouts in the minors but a fastball that is…ehh… makes the transition difficult. His changeup is his best offering and he throws it to righties and lefties, but I think there needs to be more to his slider and fastball if he is going to find sustained success.

Depth Options

Let’s quickly walk through a few of the depth options you could see in 2026.

Sam Aldegheri (LHP) – Aldegheri will not make a lot of highlight reels. A lefty with a low velocity kitchen sink approach that relies on soft contact but doesn’t come with the command you’d usually want to see in this profile. Unless his command improves I think we are looking at a depth starter or potential bullpen piece.

Ryan Johnson – The Angels rushed Johnson to the majors and forced him into the bullpen which made for all kinds of trouble. I like his funky, low release, delivery combined with a pitch mix that darts in different directions, but I think he’ll need more time in the minors. He has yet to see the upper minors so taking it slow isn’t the worst course adjustment from his rookie season. Perhaps a late season call-up.

George Klassen – Just Baseball’s No. 66 prospect, Klassen comes with the type of stuff too many of the aforementioned names lack. An upper-90s fastball with two breaking balls that are major league quality pitches. Of course, like others I discussed, command is what is holding him back. Still, this is the highest upside option we could see reach the majors. He’s Rule 5 eligible in December, so adding him to the 40-man roster needs to happen this year.

Final Thoughts

The Angels rotation has plenty of questions, but it’s the most intriguing group we’ve seen in recent years. I believe Soriano and/or Rodriguez have a real chance to establish themselves as foundational pieces moving forward. At the very least, fans will have potential building blocks to watch most nights instead of aging veterans simply filling innings.

This season is about determining who is – and isn’t – part of the future. Having a collection of 23- to 26-year-old arms is encouraging, but a few need to take a meaningful step forward and separate themselves from the pack.