The Los Angeles Angels are climbing the power rankings despite a rough week, and it’s all thanks to Jose Soriano’s emergence as one of baseball’s most dominant starters.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter moved the Angels up two spots to 18th this week, even after they split with the Yankees and managed just one win against the Padres.
What’s driving the optimism? Soriano’s been untouchable.
The 27-year-old right-hander is 5-0 with a 0.28 ERA through five starts, posting a 0.73 WHIP while allowing just 11 hits across 32.2 innings. He’s struck out 39 batters and leads MLB in ERA by a wide margin.
“A five-homer week from Mike Trout grabbed headlines and rightfully so, but the biggest storyline for the Angels is the emergence of Jose Soriano as a bona fide ace,” Reuter wrote.
It’s been a while since the Angels had an ERA leader. Dean Chance last did it in 1964, when he won the Cy Young with a 1.65 mark.
The Angels sit at 11-13, which doesn’t look impressive on paper. But context matters here – this organization hasn’t posted a winning record since 2015. Mike Trout’s staying healthy so far, and that five-homer week Reuter mentioned shows what happens when the three-time AL MVP can actually play.
That’s the key question moving forward. Soriano’s breakout gives them something they haven’t had in years – a legitimate ace atop the rotation. But Trout’s health remains the biggest factor in whether this early optimism translates into their first meaningful baseball in nearly a decade.
The way I see it, if both guys can maintain what they’re doing, the Angels might actually have something brewing in Anaheim.
