Halos Today

Why Jose Soriano's Spring Focus is More Important Than His Results

Soriano is working with a new pitching coach and could spend the Cactus League making adjustments.
Jeff Joiner|
Aug 25, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano (59) delivers a pitch to the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images
Aug 25, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano (59) delivers a pitch to the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images | Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Angels

Jose Soriano throws some really nasty pitches. His heavy sinker sits in the upper 90s and generates a ton of ground balls. His knuckle curve freezes hitters and makes the sinker more effective.

Baseball Savant rates Soriano as the best in baseball at generating ground balls and his average fastball velocity is in the top 10% of the game. Lapses in command happen too frequently, however, and Soriano doesn't get as may strikeouts as his stuff seems to warrant.

Heading into camp knowing he has a rotation spot secured, Soriano can now spend the Cactus League working with new Angels pitching coach Mike Maddux rather than focus on making the team. As a result, his Cactus Leage stats don't matter as much as his fouces on soaking up Maddux knowledge.

Mike Maddux has launched the careers of numerous All Stars.

In 2012 Yu Darvish left Japan and headed to the Texas Rangers where Mike Maddux was his pitching coach. Maddux helped him refine his best pitches, command them for strikes. In Darvish's rookie year, he was about 12% above league average. After that he turned into a bona fide ace

Like Soriano, CJ Wilson showed flashes of brilliance but would lose his mechanics and have sudden meltdowns in games. Once Maddux was installed as the Rangers pitching coach in 2009 he began working with Wilson to refine his mechanics. In 2010, Wilson broke out in a major way with a 5 WAR season.

Even Hall of Famer CC Sabathia saw his numbers improve under Maddux. After being traded from Cleveland to Milwaukee in 2008 Sabathia posted a half season with a sub 3.00 ERA; one of his only stretches with an ERA below 3.

Soriano is likely going to work on new things during Cactus League games, impacting his numbers.

Players assured of making the Opening Day roster, like Soriano this season, will often use the Cactus League to work on things. I've known players who spent a week only trying to hit the ball to the opposite field, for example. Pitchers will often experiment with new grips or new pitches.
It is better to find out whether something works or not prior to the season.

Expect to see Soriano workiing on several things at the Cactus League progresses. At times they might look brilliant and at others he might simply look off. That is by design.

The only statistic that truly matters for Soriano at the end of Spring Training is health. If he's healthy and he's working with Mike Maddux his ERA, walk rate, and strikeout rate are meaningless.

The good news is, that work is already happening.

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Jeff Joiner
JEFF JOINER

I'm a lifelong Angels fan who majored in journalism at CSU, Bakersfield and has previously covered the team at Halos Heaven and Crashing the Pearly Gates. Life gets no better than a day at the ballpark with family and friends.