Walt Weiss' pre-brawl praise proves Angels have their ace of the future

Braves manager Walt Weiss may not be the most popular figure among Los Angeles Angels fans at the moment. His takedown of Jorge Soler during a brawl that broke out between the two teams earlier in the week drew acclaim across social media, but his praise of José Soriano proves the Angels may have their ace of the future.

After Soriano pitched eight masterful inning against the Braves earlier this weekWeiss heaped praise on the Angels' right hander, saying, "It's some of the best stuff you'll see in this league. You hate giving credit to opposing pitchers but sometimes you have to. That was big-time stuff right there."

Braves manager Walt Weiss heaps praise on Angels pitcher José Soriano

Weiss is a guy who has been around the game for a long time. He's seen a lot of pitchers come and go, so if he's giving credit where it is due then it is clearly true.

While the whole situation with Weiss tackling Soler was bizarre, Angels fans have to be feeling good about Soriano early this season. After he was named the Opening Day starter for LA, he has made that decision look like a stroke of genius.

The 27-year-old has been dominant and it looks like this could be his breakout season. He proved in 2025 that he can be a consistent starter over the course of a full season, pitching to a 4.64 ERA in 31 starts, but this is the season where he can take another step forward and maybe even prove that he is an All-Star.

Two really positive signs that suggest Soriano is ready to take that leap have to do with his walk rate and strikeout rate. Last season he had 152 strikeouts and 78 walks in 169 innings pitched. Those aren't terrible numbers by any stretch, but so far this season he has struck out 21 batters and walked just six in 20 innings.

It's a small sample size, but if Soriano can transform into a true strikeout pitcher while also limiting the free passes, that could be an absolutely deadly combination for opponents. His velocity is as lively as ever, so now is the time for the explosive young arm to finally put all of the pieces together and take that next step from good pitcher to great pitcher.

The Angels have been fun to watch so far this season between the home run robberies and brawl, but getting to watch Soriano dominate opponents is plenty fun as well.