What Michael Soroka's Spring Start Told us About D-backs' Rotation

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka is in the midst of a roster battle. Soroka signed a one-year deal with the intent to start for the D-backs this season, but could now be the odd man out of Arizona's rotation after the unexpected re-signing of Zac Gallen.

But Soroka intends to earn a starting role. He told reporters as much prior to the beginning of Cactus League play. On Tuesday, Soroka made his first start — beginning his case to stick in the rotation.

For a first start, it was a relative mixed bag, but ended on an impressive note. Soroka was hit hard in the first inning, giving up a leadoff triple, RBI single and walk.

Soroka's fastball velocity appeared to fluctuate from the lower-90s to the mid-upper-90s. His location was a bit rough in the first.

But then, the right-hander came back out for the second and appeared to settle down entirely. He set down the side in order on just 11 pitches (nine for strikes), and picked up two swinging strikeouts.

Soroka finished the day with two innings pitched, two hits allowed, a walk and three punchouts, landing 24 of his 33 pitches for strikes. It's easy to overreact to spring training results, particularly in a pitcher's first appearance, but it does give us a little bit of information about Soroka's role going forward.

What Diamondbacks' Michael Soroka's Start Tells Us

Arizona Diamondbacks michael soroka — Jul 18, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Michael Soroka (34) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Soroka has been successful in a bullpen role in the past, however his Tuesday start displayed an ability to settle in after a difficult inning. That is a crucial skill when looking at a potential starting arm, and one that lends itself to creating more value over lengthier outings as opposed to short appearances.

However, Soroka's velocity told a different story. Though he was sitting in the 94-96 MPH range on his fastball in the first inning, it began to tick down as his outing went on. By the end of the second inning, his four-seam and sinker were reading 88-90 MPH while facing his final batter of the game.

It's possible those numbers were slightly miscalculated, as Statcast readings are not perfect. It's also possible he was purposefully toning it down to land his pitches more consistently. As previously mentioned, it's important to not overreact to the first outing of spring, but it will be a trend to watch.

If Soroka is unable to maintain his velocity for the duration of a start, he may end up being more valuable in a bullpen role after all.

It's going to take more than a few outings for Soroka's role to be fully decided. He also may find himself in the rotation by default if Merrill Kelly's back tightness forces an IL stint.

But for the time being, it was a solid first effort by the right-hander.