Angels' rotation race is getting interesting with two dark horses throwing heat

Going into spring training, Los Angeles Angels' first-time manager Kurt Suzuki told reporters that only three of the five rotation spots were locked in. Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano were no-brainers after exceptionally strong campaigns in 2025, and Reid Detmers claimed the third spot as he rejoins the rotation (and potentially leads it).

The final two spots seemed close to being sure things as well, but two other pitchers may have thrown their name into the conversation with strong starts to their preseasons.

Despite Suzuki's claim that only three spots were locked in, fans and media alike knew the last two rotation slots were likely being held for the Angels' offseason additions. Grayson Rodriguez, whom they acquired via trade with the Baltimore Orioles, will likely be in the rotation as long as he is healthy come Opening Day.

Alek Manoah, who is a rebound candidate for the Halos this season, is seen as the favorite to round out the rotation as long as he continues to show progress from last season. However, two forgotten starters from 2025 are turning heads with increased velocity.

A pair of Angels' arms could join the rotation with newfound heat

Mitch Farris debuted in September last season and was up-and-down, posting a 6.66 ERA in five starts. Farris' fastball topped out at 93.3 MPH last season, ranking in the 6th percentile of pitchers (per Baseball Savant). He was still able to generate a decent amount of swing-and-miss (28.6 whiff percentage), but his fastball was smashed. In his first spring training appearance, however, he was throwing noticeably harder.

Joining Farris in increasing velocity was Samuel Aldegheri, who found some velocity in his second preseason appearance. After averaging 91.6 MPH on his fastball last season, Aldegheri got up to 92.2 MPH during his second appearance. This increased velocity is huge for him, especially as Aldegheri got some coaching on his changeup from a former Halo pitcher. The whiff percentage for Aldegheri's changeup this spring training is 46.7 percent, nearly doubling his 24 percent mark from the 2025 season.

With these velocity increases, it is also worth noting that pitchers typically throw slower in spring training than in the regular season. As their bodies get warmed up to the workload, the velocity slowly creeps up. And so these gains for Farris and Aldegheri may seem marginal now, but could be the difference between them spending their seasons in Anaheim or Salt Lake City in 2026.