Angels Pitchers Report: Hits, Misses, and Concern Index 5 Games Into the Season

Pitching was the Angels primary concern heading into the 2026 and one turn through the rotation is proving the Angels collection of arms is a mixed bag. How concerned should Angels fans be at this point? Let's take a look.

Hits: Jose Soriano, Yusei Kikuchi, Jordan Romano, Sam Bachman

The good news here is the front two in the Angels rotation put them in position to win the games they started.

Jose Soriano was simply brilliant on Opening Day and is looking like he could be on his way to a very special year. 6 innings, 7 K's and no runs allowed is a very high quality start. The 4 walks were a bit concerning but that's nitpicking.

Kikuchi did not have his best stuff and got pulled after racking up an early high pitch count. He only walked one Astro, though, and battled his way through 4.1 innings on the night. Being able to keep your team in the game when you don't have your best stuff is important.

The Angels clearly prioritized closing experience when signing bullpen pitchers this off season. Nobody thought Jordan Romano would be the Opening Day closer, though. Still, he's thrown 2 shutout innings, struck out 3, only walked 1, and picked up a save.

Kind of the forgotten man heading into camp, Sam Bachman earned his spot on the team with a really good Cactus League and has kept it going with 2 scoreless frames of his own.

Misses: Ryan Johnson, Jack Kochanowicz, Drew Pomeranz

After taking an ill advised two leg parlay on Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah that predictably did not pan out the Angels had to scramble to fill the back end of the rotation. So far, the gamble is not paying off.

Johnson was tagged for 6 earned runs in 3.1 innings. He walked 4 and only struck out 2. It was a really bad first start to the season. His defense did him no favors, but he also got hit hard.

Kochanowicz was only slightly better. He finished 4 innings but was hit with 5 earned runs (6 total). Jack walked 5 hitters and struck out 3 and faced an average of 10 hitters per inning.

It is really early to judge bullpen guys, but Pomeranz has given up 3 earned runs in 2 innings. One appearance went well, one went poorly.

Concern index: 7 out of 10

Mar 17, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

As it currently stands, the Angels have 2 starters that give them a chance to win and 2 that seemingly set them up to fail. Reid Detmers is the non descript guy in the middle.

Both Johnson and Kochanowicz had good Spring Training numbers and could improve. But they have both struggled at the MLB level and need to prove themselves. The Angels are in a rebuild whether they admit it or not but if the team wants any hope of not getting buried by May they need to step up.

The bullpen will undergo a transformation this year. Nick Sandlin should join the squad soon then hopefully Ben Joyce follows. Until then, manager Kurt Suzuki needs to play the percentages and try to put the relievers into situations that give them a chance to succeed; something he has failed to do.

You can't win a playoff spot in March or April but you can lose one. The Angels need to get better pitching or they will again be buried by the time kids get out of school for the summer.