Angels spring training could decide Jack Kochanowicz's future

The Los Angeles Angels pitching staff have a decent amount of roles up for grabs. Barring an addition, there will be a battle for the fifth starter with All-Star-turned-reclamation project Alek Manoah taking on a litany of young arms. With a bunch of youngsters like Chase Silseth and Jose Fermin trying to break through, there could be several low-leverage bullpen jobs up for grabs as well.

The biggest question might be where Jack Kochanowicz fits in with all of this. The sinkerballer impressed in an 11-start run in 2024, despite an alarmingly low 9.4% strikeout rate, pitching to a 3.99 ERA. He then took on and beat Reid Detmers to win the fifth starter spot after a 2.79 ERA performance in spring training.

Based on that, the Angels gave him a lot of run to prove that he was the real deal. The 6-foot-7 hurler made 23 starts and posted a ghastly 6.81 ERA. Los Angeles sent him down briefly to Triple-A Salt Lake a couple of times to work on some things, but nothing seemed to stick. Finally, he got one last shot on August 27 against the hated Texas Rangers and got shellacked, ensuring that Angels fans wouldn't see him again over the season's final month.

Spring training could represent the last chance for Jack Kochanowicz with the Angels

What worked for Kochanowicz in 2024 was a steady diet of ground balls and impeccable command. The righty posted a stellar 57% ground ball rate alongside a minuscule 3.8% walk rate, which compensated (to a degree) for the lack of strikeouts. In order to achieve this feat, Kochanowicz relied almost exclusively on his power sinker, throwing the pitch a whopping 72.4% of the time.

In 2025, the former third-round pick attempted to generate more whiffs by expanding his repertoire. He reduced the sinker to 46.7% of the time, threw his four-seamer more often, shelved his curveball for a slider, and leaned into his changeup. The result was skyrocketing walks, coming in at 11.3%, and an alarming number of dingers at 1.70 HR/9, despite posting a 51.9% ground ball rate.

Statistically, Kochanowicz might have been the worst starting pitcher in baseball, with his average exit velocity and hard hit rate coming in as first percentile performances, and struggling to strike out more batters, posting a paltry 14.1% strikeout rate.

The lack of any success with his secondary offerings is going to make it hard for him to succeed as a starter, so barring any unforeseen development this offseason, he's a real long shot to win the fifth starter job again.

But maybe the Halos could find something with him in the bullpen. There, he could simplify his arsenal and rely more on his bread-and-butter sinker. He'll still need a second pitch, and it's unclear if any of his other offerings can rise to the occasion. That said, it's easier to be a two-pitch pitcher than a five-pitch one.

The other option would be stashing him back at Salt Lake. Even there, Kochanowicz struggled in an albeit limited sample, posting a 5.95 ERA over four starts.

Another minor league assignment, especially if he struggles again in the early going at Triple-A, might spell the end of Kochanowicz's time in Anaheim. The potential he showed in 2024 was encouraging, but the warning signs that were presented then turned into dire deficiencies in 2025. It seems like it might be too late for the 25-year-old to turn it around, but the Angels will give him at least one more spring to prove he's worthy of the show.