StatCast impressions of the day following Padres-Angels spring training game

Spring training results are meaningless, but the game data can certainly paint a picture of how a player is faring. Tempe Diablo Stadium does not have working HawkEye systems, meaning that they do not use ABS or provide live StatCast data during games. However, many of the road games provide ample metrics for fans to dig into.

The Angels played the Padres for their fourth spring training game of the season, and many regulars and up-and-comers provided awesome moments during the 2-1 victory. Stats aside, it was great seeing Nelson Rada's diving catch, Juan Flores' pick on a pitch in the dirt leading to him throwing out a runner trying to advance to second base, and Bryce Teodosio's go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the 8th inning.

That being said, whose numbers were favorable from the game? Let's dive deep.

José Soriano's arm is no longer fatigued

Dame más gasolina. After getting shut down last season, Soriano looks poised for a massive breakout campaign this season as the team's no. 2 starter.

Soriano's turbo sinker is his bread and butter, as the shape is perfect coming from an ideal release point (36° arm angle). The velocity (96.7mph-to-98.2mph on the day) and depth (3-to-7" of induced vertical break) were on full display against San Diego. His knuckle curve continues to be very hard and has incredible depth even with the velocity. He showed off his slider six times, which he rarely used last year (5% of the time), and tossed one splitter.

He threw 11 of his 24 pitches for strikes. When that next-level stuff is consistently in-zone, he is a weapon.

Cole Fontenelle's stock is rising

In a great piece by Sam Blum of The Athletic, he detailed Fontenelle's gruesome injury that resulted in "torn ligaments in his ankle, dislocated it as well, and fractured his fibula."

Well, the third baseman is putting that behind him. Fontenelle made a great play in the field when he charged towards a dribbler up the third base line, and threw out the batter at first. Then the switch-hitter had the most optimal hit of the day, when he clobbered a 401ft triple off the centerfield fence at 105.3mph with a 32° launch angle.

Garrett McDaniels and Brock Burke are studs

Brock Burke is a lock for the major league bullpen, and the Angels are certainly liking what they are seeing from Garrett McDaniels so far. The results are great from McDaniels' two outings (6-up, 6-down), and the numbers certainly show why he has been effective.

McDaniels is predominantly a two-pitch pitcher -- you'll be hard pressed to see the lefty throw anything other than his sinker and slider. That being said, despite being labeled sliders, it appears he trickled in at least one left-on-left curveball against Luis Arráez for a called strike at 82.5mph, -13 IVB.

He threw three sinkers at 93.0mph, 93.1mph, and 94.5mph, with relatively average IVB and arm-side run for the pitch. However, he optimally located all three in the lower half of the zone, and two were strike-to-ball pitches that he could have easily generated chases on.

StatCast does not account for the fortitude it takes to throw sliders in plus-hitters counts. Well, McDaniels did just that. In a 3-1 count, McDaniels tossed his depthy, hard slider which generated a swing and miss. Next pitch, in a full count, he threw the slider again to get a leadoff groundout. That's big league.

Speaking of big league, Brock Burke was lighting up the radar gun. He topped out at a whopping 97.5mph, but also hit 97.0mph, 96.8mph, and 95.8mph. He toyed with a nasty sinker, which could be something to monitor in camp. His slider is hard but is pretty low-spin, which is some cause for concern. All in all, he is in-line for another solid campaign as a back-end Angels reliever given the way he hides the ball, gets down the mound (88th percentile extension), and has above average metrics on his four-seam.