Player Spotlight: Jack Kochanowicz Is Giving the Rotation Exactly What It Needed

Jack Kochanowicz entered the season as one of the Angels’ biggest rotation questions.

Jack Kochanowicz entered the season as one of the Angels’ biggest rotation questions. One month in, he has become one of their more important stabilizers.

Jack Kochanowicz struck out 4 in 3.0 IP in his final outing of #LAASpring!

Final Line: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO pic.twitter.com/A1TpCa2Tbb

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 25, 2026

Through six starts, Jack Kochanowicz is 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA across 35.0 innings, allowing 24 hits, 12 earned runs, 18 walks and 24 strikeouts, good for a 1.20 WHIP. For a pitcher coming off a 6.81 ERA and 1.75 WHIP in 2025, that represents a significant early correction.

The biggest change has been contact quality. Opponents are hitting just .189 against him, which has allowed Kochanowicz to work through traffic even when command has wavered. The walks, 18 in 35 innings, are still higher than ideal, but they have not turned into big innings the way they did last year.

That ties directly into his pitch mix. Kochanowicz continues to lean heavily on a mid-to-upper 90s fastball, using it to attack hitters early in counts and generate weak contact rather than purely chase strikeouts. His secondary pitches, primarily a slider and a developing offspeed offering, have functioned more as support pieces, helping him finish at-bats when he gets ahead rather than carrying the outing themselves.

Jack Kochanowicz NASTY changeup 🔥

(@PitchingNinja)

pic.twitter.com/HOwZLTKlCy

— SleeperAngels (@SleeperAngels) March 25, 2026

The result is a profile built more on efficiency and damage control than dominance. His 24 strikeouts in 35 innings reflect that he is not overpowering hitters, but his ability to limit hard contact and keep the ball on the ground has been enough to produce consistent results. When the fastball is located, the rest of the mix plays up. When it is not, the lack of a consistently trusted third pitch can allow hitters to extend at-bats.

That is where the next step comes in. Kochanowicz has already shown he can keep the Angels in games, averaging nearly six innings per start and providing needed length behind José Soriano. But to move from “reliable” to “secure,” he will need to either sharpen command or continue developing the secondary pitches into more consistent weapons.

For now, the Angels are getting exactly what they need, a starter who limits damage, keeps them competitive, and gives the bullpen a chance to take over.