3 Angels Pitchers Who Will Benefit Most From Team’s New Analytical Pivot

John Mozeliak announced that the Angels will be a forward thinking club when it comes to the use of analytics and data to improve pitching performance. Former pitching coach Mike Maddux preferred an old school approach and was anywhere from ambivilent to hostile when it came to embracing all of the tools at his disposal.

Longtime Mozeliak colleague Tim Leveque is a firm believer in using pitch tracking and sequencing data to get the best results from his pitchers. Thus far his results with AA Rocket City have been inspiring as evidenced by breakout seasons from Luke Murphy and Joel Hurtado along with vast improvement in the bullpen as a whole.

Now with Leveque at the big league level, his presence could really help a trio of Angels hurlers.

Reid Detmers: Unlocking an Elite Under-the-Hood Profile

In recent years the term "underlying metrics" has become prevalent in baseball circles. That catch all phrase generally refers to the numbers that either support or cast doubt on the more commonly cited statistics like ERA or batting average. In the case of Reid Detmers, his underlying metrics point to a pitcher that is more elite than his ERA would indicate. Detmers could be the pitcher the Angels look to as their frontline starter for the next few years.

The Data Dilemma:

Reid Detmers already possesses elite pitch shape. Anybody who has seen his rainbow curveball or biting slider can see his pitches have the type of movement and location that can confound Major League hitters. Despite not having an organization that maximizes his pitch sequencing, Detmers continues to rack up swings and misses and is a data darling while carrying an ERA that is only 2% better than league average.

How Analytics Fixes It:

Leveque’s staff can help him optimize his bullpen sessions, refine his vertical approach angle, and better sequence his high-whiff secondaries to improve his overall results. By using his best pitches more often and knowing which pitches are optimal in each situation, Detmers can better avoid the prolonged, letdown inning that too often mars otherwise solid outings.

Walbert Ureña: Taming 101 MPH Raw Stuff

Aug 8, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Walbert Urena (57) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Plenty of pitchers hit the league and have early success. Maintaining that success is the difference between having a long career and a short one. In Urena's case, there are both reasons for optimism and caution when looking forward.

The Data Dilemma:

Ureña has broken out with a stellar sub-3.00 ERA built around blistering raw tools, including a four-seam fastball that blows past hitters. However, his high 1.29 WHIP and reliance on a heavy sinker-sweeper pitch mix leave him vulnerable when his control wavers. In short, when it gets bad for Urena it gets bad quickly because he only has two ways to attack hitters. Once they can eliminate one, they can key on the other.

How Analytics Fixes It:

Using modern data and pitch tracking will help get the most out of Urena's velocity and high spin rates. Both of those factors are great but correcting the shape of his pitches will improve his results. Data-driven tunneling will turn his high-velocity four-seamer and fading changeup into complementary weapons, pushing him from a volatile young starter into a potential frontline anchor.

Grayson Rodriguez: Resetting the Arsenal After Injury

Grayson Rodriguez was traded from a data heavy organization in Baltimore to the old school Angels this off season. As Rodriguez developed through the minor leagues he met with coaches to go over all of his data and refine his pitches and sequencing. The results were promising and he topped prospect rankings charts for years. Now he will have an opportunity to again use that data as he looks to ressurrect his career.

The Data Dilemma:

Rodriguez has struggled mightily to a 7.20 ERA following 2025 elbow surgery. His spin rates and pitch shapes have shown inconsistencies, highlighted by a rocky 4-walk, 4-run blowup. But he has also shown signs of his former self including a 7 inning, 2 run performance against his former team last week.

How Analytics Fixes It:

Rather than relying on standard "feel," Rodriguez needs intensive biomechanical tracking to reconstruct his pre-surgery delivery and regain his former pitch shapes. Enhanced pitch sequencing can also help him get the most out of his pitches as they regain their former effectiveness and put him in position to succeed even when he is not back to 100% of his former self.

A Critical Late-Season Lab for the Halos

How deep of a rebuild the Angels need to undertake is still a bit uncertain. If the Angels can maximize the results of Reid Detmers, Walbert Urena, and Grayson Rodriguez and pair them with veteran Yusei Kikuchi that is the beginning of a decent rotation. Newcomer George Klassen is making his case to the be the fifth member of that group.

If the Angels are going to be respectable in the near future they will need their young starters to lead the way. The last two months of the 2026 season will give the front office and Angels fans a glimpse of the potential this group has when they use all of the tools at their disposal.

Most importanty this stretch will give Mozeliak an accurate insight into the talent at hand and how a trusted advisor thinks it can be improved. The key to undertaking a rebuild is understanding what you have. And the Angels are getting a chance to do that in August and September.

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