1 critical goal for each member of the Angels' starting rotation in 2025

Jose Soriano has to hold up over a full season with a starter's workload

Even if Kikuchi accomplishes his goal of becoming a true ace, a lot of weight rests on the right arm of starter Jose Soriano. The 26-year-old is coming off an impressive if uneven 2024 campaign that unfortunately ended too soon, being shut down with arm fatigue after just 20 starts and 113 innings pitched while posting a 3.42 ERA.

Injuries and durability concerns are nothing new for Soriano, who first made his big league debut as a reliever in 2023 after a circuitous journey to the majors that included two Tommy John surgeries.

His stuff is nasty, featuring both a sinker and four seam fastball that can top 98 miles per hour and pair nicely with a wicked knuckle curve, the potential to improve upon a relatively pedestrian 7.73 K/9 last season is there, paired with an exceptional ability to get outs on the ground with a 59.7% ground ball rate.

None of this truly matters, though, if Soriano cannot stay on the mound or needs to be moved back to the pen should the rigors of starting prove to be too much for him. If he can achieve his goal and prove that he can handle a full-time starting pitcher workload, the Angels might have something special.

If not, a large hole will appear near the top of the rotation, and the Halos will continue their downward trajectory fueled by ineptitude in the rotation.

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