Jack Kochanowicz struggles mask stat that could completely change Angels' outlook

Jack Kochanowicz entered spring training with his future with the Los Angeles Angels on the line. The once-promising right-hander had an abysmal 2025, proving once and for all that his stuff, aside from a bowling ball sinker, was not up to par.

Kochanowicz pitched well this spring, and his uphill battle was made a whole lot easier when Alek Manoah and Grayson Rodriguez both hit the IL. Instead of dueling with Ryan Johnson for the final rotation spot, both were guaranteed entry, at least for now.

As was the case last year, Kochanowicz's spring magic quickly faded once he took the hill in games that mattered. His first start of the 2026 season saw him give up five earned runs to the rival Houston Astros over just four innings of work.

That might have been enough for some to write him off once and for all, but bubbling underneath the surface was a pretty sizable improvement. Kochanowicz's Stuff+ grade from that outing ranked as one of the biggest year-over-year jumps from where he was in 2025, and that could be meaningful.

Jack Kochanowicz may have finally unlocked his stuff and may convince the Angels to believe in him

The big righty's 2024 debut looked impressive thanks to the 3.99 ERA, but his 9.4% strikeout rate was laughably bad and didn't look like it could ever improve. Over those 65 1/3 innings, he threw his sinker 72.4% of the time simply because he had no quality secondary pitches.

Last year's debacle saw him try to develop those secondaries and lean on them more. His sinker usage dropped to 46.7%, but he routinely got smacked around and finished the year with an abysmal 6.81 ERA. Kochanowicz's strikeout numbers were still well below average, and his inferior control of the rest of his arsenal caused his walks to balloon, too. He posted a 93 Stuff+ for the season, which was seven percent worse than league average.

Against the Astros, his stuff peaked and yielded a 111 Stuff+. He used the sinker even less, just 36.2% of the time, and he leaned into his other offerings. A change in arm angle brought them to life, particularly Kochanowicz's four-seamer, which always had good velocity but had been straight as an arrow, had more rise. His changeup also had significantly more depth and movement.

This could help the 25-year-old get more whiffs. Previously, he lived and died by contact and saw his mistakes pounded. Now, if he can regularly strike out hitters, he'll be able to pair a healthy groundball rate with the Ks to hopefully drive more positive results. Ironically, the strikeout-caliber stuff seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind this spring.

“It's definitely been good. More than anything, I've been getting the right kind of at-bats. I want to be able to get a lot of early contact,” Kochanowicz said. “Strikeouts are fun, but I want to get through innings. So that’s been good, and more than anything, the ball is coming out how I want.”

Everything in moderation, Jack. If he can work efficiently and get the strikeouts when he needs them, he could finally realize the promise he once showed. We're not there yet, but markedly improved stuff is a fantastic first step.