Angels Rookie Walbert Ureña Follows Yankees Gem with 8-Inning Masterclass vs. Paul Skenes

Walbert Urena continued to show his pedigree today, following a dominant start against the Yankees by going toe to toe against Pirates ace Paul Skenes. As the Angels look to rebuild and hopefully contend in the near future, Urena had two big tests this week and he aced them both. For Angels fans hoping for better days soon, the rookie right hander looks to be a legitimate building block.

Walbert Ureña Follows Yankees Gem With Masterclass vs. Pirates

On Monday Urena held a powerful Yankees lineup to one run in seven innings. PItted against the highly touted Elmer Rodriguez, the breakout righty of the Angels was the star on the mound. One mistake to Spencer Jones led to the only Yankees run of the game. However, Urena struck out 8 Bronx Bombers without issuing a walk.

Today, Walbert Urena faced another solid team in the PIttsburgh Pirates. With ace Paul Skenes on the mound for the Pirates, Urena needed to be nearly perfect for the Angels to get a win. And he was nearly perfect. Like Monday he made one mistake that was hit for a home run, this time to Henry Davis. And like Monday he was efficient with his pitches and limited hard contact. The Pirates recorded only 3 hits on the day.

Going Toe-to-Toe with Paul Skenes at PNC Park

Skenes did not step into the batter's box to face Urena but his presence loomed large in the game. Pitchers know who is on the mound for the other team and facing a Cy Young Award winner adds an extra level of pressure to perform well. Some pitchers will rise to the occassion while others will crumble. More than anything, that was the test for Urena today.

And once again, Urena rose to the challenge. For the first time in his career he completed 8 full innings which outlasted Skenes. He needed to be nearly perfect and he was. Giving up a lone run gave the Angels an opportunity to win the ballgame. And that is all a team can ask from their starting pitcher.

Inside the Rookie’s Dominant Sinker-Changeup Repertoire

Mixing speeds and locations, Walbert Urena was able to induce a ton of weak contact. The Yankees are among the best in baseball at elevating the ball and hitting home runs. The Pirates have a more contact oriented approach. Neither team was able to make hard contact against Urena.

The rookie's heavy sinker routinely sat in the 97-99 mile per hour range. He used that to get ahead in counts and set up a greatly improved 90 mile per hour change up. At best, hitters swung over the off speed pitch. But more often they hit it weakly to an infielder for an easy out.

Urena recorded a career high 16 ground ball outs today. That after an 8 K performance against the Yankees.

On the week, Walbert Urena pitched 15 innings and gave up only 2 runs. He struck out 12 batters and only walked 1. That is simply dominant.

What Walbert Ureña’s Surge Means for the LA Angels Rotation

Walbert Urena's continued success makes him look like a powerful addition to the Angels rotation. Currenly, if the team begins a series with Reid Detmers and Walbert Urena the Angels have a legitimate opportunity to win each game. With George Klassen, Ryan Johnson, and now Grayson Rodriguez pitching much better the long beleagured Angels rotation is showing some real promise.

In his rookie year, Urena has a really impressive 2.85 ERA over 123.1 innings. He will begin 2027 in the Angels rotation which is suddenly the strength of the team.

Walbert Urena should receive some down ballot Rookie of the Year votes this off season. But if Angels fans were to vote on the best surprise of the year, Walbet Urena would win hands down.

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