Walbert Ureña’s 100 MPH Sinker and Elite Statcast Metrics Are Keying an Angels Breakout

Is Walbert Ureña the next Angels pitching anchor? Explore the advanced Statcast metrics, expected ERA, and pitch usage fueling his latest high-velocity stretch.

Jun 15, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Walbert Urena in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Walbert Ureña is quietly turning into one of the most intriguing arms in the Los Angeles Angels' rotation. In fact he is one of the most interesting young arms in all of Major League Baseball.

Blending elite raw velocity with underlying metrics that suggest a massive breakout could be on the horizon. Over his last six starts, the young right-hander has flashed front-of-the-rotation potential, using his 97.5 mph sinker that regularly tops 100 mph alongside a devastating 90 mph changeup.

While his traditional stat line shows a mixed 3-3 record over his last 33 innings, a deeper dive into his Statcast data reveals a pitcher who is more than holding his own against Major League hitters. Boasting an elite 3.26 expected ERA (xERA) and a massive 55.1% groundball rate, Ureña is inducing hard contact and proving that his ceiling is immensely higher than your average young starter. If he can consistently harness his command and reign in the walks, the Angels may have unearthed their next homegrown pitching anchor.

Walbert Urena's underlying stat lines in his last six starts are remarkable.

In his last six starts, Urena has pitched 33 innings with 34 strikeouts. Going deeper into games is a challenge for Urena but he did complete 7 innings against Arizona on June 15th on start after completing 6 innings against the Rockies.

A brutal game against the A's destroys Urena's ERA over this stretch and drags down his average number of innings; giving up 7 earned runs in 4.1 innings will do that. But even in that shellacking, Urena was rarely giving up hard contact.

As with many young pitchers, command is the key. And while 34 strikeouts more than offsets 16 walks, that latter figure too high. Walbert ranks in the bottom 13% of baseball in walk rate.

But a look under the hood shows underlying metrics that are impressive.

Only 5.6% of Urena's pitches were hit on the barrel; a figure that is far better than league average. His expected ERA of 3.26 places him in the top 25% of MLB. Batters are expected to hit .199 against him and even when making contact hit the ball on the ground a staggering 55.1 % of the time. The ground ball rate is in the top 10% of all pitchers.

Hitters whiff at nearly a third of Urena's pitches, placing him again in the company of the top tier.

Jun 26, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Walbert Urena (57) throws against the Athletics at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Walbert Urena's splitter and change up are the key to his success.

In the second half of the 2024 season Walbert Urena gained better control of his sinker and his career trajectory changed. At the MLB level he is averaging an incredible 97.5 MPH on the pitch and has hit over 100 MPH on several occasions.

Major League hitters can tune into one pitch, though, and it is a newfound change up that is leading to Urena's success. With nearly a 10 MPH difference, the change up keeps hitters guessing. The fact he throws each pitch about a third of the time makes it difficult for hitters to guess correctly.

To be an effective starter requires multiple quality pitches. Urena has a decent four seam fastball and a developing sweeper that combine for the other third of pitches thrown. Not enough to limit the useage of his bread and butter but just enough to keep hitters on their toes.

Can Urena be a breakout ace for the Angels?

In a word, yes. There are a lot of similarities between the profiles of Walbert Urena and Jose Soriano. And both are now under the tutelage of renowned pitching coach Mike Maddux. Given Urena's age and electric stuff, it is fair to think he can follow in the footsteps of Sorian and emerge as a front of the rotation arm for the Halos.

Command and consistency will be key. As will a quality defense behind him. For years the Angels did not focus on defensive efficiency but now the team fields three shortstops of the dirt in Denzer Guzman, Zach Neto, and Oswald Peraza. It will take a team effort to turn the soft contact into outs, but the Angels are trending in the right direction with regards to infield defense; outfield not so much.

It will be every interesting to see how the team manages Urena's innings down the stretch in yet another losing season. But the Angels and their fans should be happy with Walbert Urena's development to this point and have reason to hope for a bright future.