One Angels Pitcher Quietly Had the Minors’ Longest Scoreless Streak of 2026

An Italian pitcher who was out of organized baseball in 2025 was excellent in 2026

Angels hat and glove in the dugout before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Sept. 4, 2026. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There were plenty of reasons to pay attention to the Angels’ minor-league system in 2026.

Italian-born pitcher Nicolo Pinazzi was not necessarily one of them when the season began.

The 26-year-old left-hander signed a minor league contract with the Angels in December after spending the previous two seasons in independent baseball. He had already been through the affiliated ranks once, with Cincinnati from 2021-23, but that opportunity ended after a difficult 2023 season. Pinazzi walked 26 batters in 18.1 innings at Single-A Daytona and was released by the Reds the following spring.

What unfolded next was an underdog story that would make Rocky Balboa proud.

Pinazzi bounced between independent clubs, eventually finding a home with the Idaho Falls Chukars. There, he worked on his body and his delivery while developing the pitch that would become the centerpiece of his arsenal. By 2025, scouts had noticed the changes. The Angels eventually took the chance, signing the Milan native who had first come to the United States as a teenager for a baseball showcase.

Then came 2026.

Pinazzi began the year with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, where he struck out 48 hitters in 29.1 innings and posted a 1.53 ERA. A promotion to High-A Tri-City produced more of the same: 29 strikeouts in 16 innings without an earned run. From there, the Angels sent him to Double-A Rocket City.

By the end of the season, the numbers had become difficult to ignore.

Pinazzi made 48 appearances and tossed 64 innings across four levels of the minors, finishing the season with a 0.84 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 103 strikeouts against 33 walks. His fastball reached 97.3 mph, but the pitch that hitters had the most trouble handling was his power breaking ball, which FanGraphs described as a slider/cutter hybrid.

The most remarkable stretch came between May 21 and September 4. Across 31 appearances and 43 innings, Pinazzi did not allow an earned run. He struck out 76 hitters during the streak, which was the longest such run by a minor-league pitcher since 2016 and the longest by a left-hander since 2007.

For the Angels to make the most of a farm system that places at or near the bottom of the annual organizational rankings, they need to uncover some hidden gems.

Pinazzi never made a national Top 100 prospect list. He still hasn't cracked MLB Pipeline's Top 30 prospects in the organization. Yet he could be just what the Angels' bullpen needs.