Angels Ace José Soriano Dominates with 0.28 ERA, 39 Ks in 5 Starts

Soriano's historic start has him in rare company with Fernando Valenzuela and Walter Johnson

Apr. 18, 2026 at 10:57am

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting depicting the motion of a baseball pitcher, broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric planes of deep navy blue, forest green, and burnt orange. The pitcher's body is deconstructed into abstract shapes, capturing the raw energy and athleticism of the sport.Soriano's historic start has the Angels ace in elite company, joining the likes of Valenzuela and Johnson with his dominant early-season performances.Anaheim Today

Los Angeles Angels pitcher José Soriano has been unstoppable to start the 2026 MLB season, posting a minuscule 0.28 ERA and 39 strikeouts over his first five starts. Soriano is the only pitcher in league history to go at least five innings while allowing one or fewer earned runs and three or fewer hits in each of his first five starts to a season.

Why it matters

Soriano's dominant performances have put him in elite company, joining legendary pitchers like Fernando Valenzuela and Walter Johnson as the only players to allow one earned run or fewer in each of their first five starts of a season. His early-season success has been a major boost for the Los Angeles Angels as they look to contend in the AL West.

The details

In his latest outing, Soriano pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning, ending the San Diego Padres' eight-game winning streak. Despite not having his best stuff, Soriano was able to grind through the Padres' veteran lineup, showing his maturity on the mound. Soriano has been overwhelming hitters with his 99-mph fastball, sinker, and a curveball that has flummoxed opponents.

  • Soriano (5-0) has an ERA of 0.28 after allowing just one run in his first 32 2/3 innings this season.
  • Soriano leads the majors with 39 strikeouts while allowing only 11 hits, and he's tied with Milwaukee's Aaron Ashby for the lead with five wins.
  • Soriano's 17-inning scoreless streak is the second-longest in the majors this season, and opponents are batting .104 against his 0.73 WHIP — both the best in baseball.

The players

José Soriano

A right-handed Dominican pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels who has been dominant to start the 2026 season, posting a 0.28 ERA and 39 strikeouts in his first five starts.

Jo Adell

A slugger for the Los Angeles Angels who praised Soriano's historic start, saying 'It's like a hot knife through butter. It's pretty crazy. It's really special, and he's a special talent.'

Kurt Suzuki

The manager of the Los Angeles Angels, who was impressed by Soriano's ability to grind through the Padres' lineup without his best stuff, saying 'He learned how to navigate a great lineup over there without his best stuff ... and it was pretty incredible.'

Craig Stammen

The manager of the San Diego Padres, who was impressed by Soriano's curveball, saying 'That pitch was very impressive from the dugout. Gave our guys trouble at the beginning. It's really hard to lay off that pitch, and it complements his sinker.'

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What they’re saying

“It's like a hot knife through butter. It's pretty crazy. It's really special, and he's a special talent. He's always had the stuff to compete at this level, and he's doing what an ace does. Whatever he's done, just keep doing it.”

— Jo Adell, Angels slugger

“The thing that impressed was that to us, he had to grind a little bit tonight. I think that's the maturity showing up, where he's learning how to pitch — and I say this lightly — without his best stuff. He learned how to navigate a great lineup over there without his best stuff ... and it was pretty incredible. You can't say enough.”

— Kurt Suzuki, Angels manager

“Knowing him from the past, you always thought of the high-90s sinker, and then he comes in breaking out the curveball. That pitch was very impressive from the dugout. Gave our guys trouble at the beginning. It's really hard to lay off that pitch, and it complements his sinker. He did a great job tonight mixing his pitches. ... He's just a really good pitcher.”

— Craig Stammen, Padres manager

What’s next

Soriano will look to continue his historic start in his next outing, which is scheduled for April 23 against the Seattle Mariners.

The takeaway

Soriano's dominant performances to start the 2026 season have put him in rare company, joining legendary pitchers like Fernando Valenzuela and Walter Johnson. His ability to mix his pitches and grind through lineups without his best stuff has been particularly impressive, and the Angels will look to ride his historic start as they aim to contend in the AL West.