Predicting the Angels 2026 Rotation
As the Los Angeles Angels parted ways with Angels veteran Taylor Ward, acquiring 26-year-old Grayson Rodriguez from the Baltimore Orioles in return, the Angels' starting rotation is beginning to take shape for 2026. The Angels' most obvious weakness has been their pitching staff, which has posted an ERA above four in the last 10 years. Rodriguez provides an exciting arm for the rotation and potential to become an ace with the club going forward. The mix of returning contributors and outside help offers a more balanced and competitive outlook than in previous years. A combination of youth, upside, and veteran stability could finally give the Angels the pitching foundation they have lacked. Here is a realistic projection of how the rotation could look on Opening Day.
LHP Yusei Kikuchi
RHP José Soriano
RHP Grayson Rodriguez
LHP Reid Detmers
RHP Tyler Mahle
Returning Arms: LHP Yusei Kikuchi and RHP José Soriano
The Angels will see starters from 2025 return to the rotation, including Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano, both of whom showed promise last year. Kikuchi is returning after an all-star appearance, maintaining his front-end spot. Soriano’s 2025 was a busy one with 31 appearances, but ending it with a 4.26 ERA. Both will go into 2026 with the primary focus on working on preventing walks that ballooned their ERAs. Rodriguez will fill in the middle of the rotation, leaving two spots left for the Angels to figure out.
The Back-end Question Mark: LHP Reid Detmers
Reid Detmers spent most of last year in the bullpen after struggling to achieve any success starting. In 2025, Detmers appeared in 65 games out of the bullpen but still struggled to keep runs down, posting a 3.96 ERA. Still, not as bad as his 2024 season, which saw him start 17 games and post a 6.70 ERA over 87.1 innings. It’s probable for the Angels to make him a back-end starter and see if Detmers can handle going back to the rotation. If not, the Angels have prospects ready for an opportunity.
Internal Options: RHP Caden Dana, RHP Ryan Johnson, or LHP Sam Aldegheri
That leaves at least one spot for the front office to decide who to fill the role. There are a few players within the Angels' minor league system who were given chances to start last year, like Caden Dana, Sam Aldegheri, or Ryan Johnson. Dana would be the arm out of the three that has the most promise to make the rotation. However, if the Angels truly plan to contend, they should shop around and see what’s out on both the trade block and free agency.
Free Agent Acquisition: RHP Tyler Mahle
Tyler Mahle would be an interesting option to pursue, as he is one of the more consistent arms on the free agent market and could offer the Halos both stability and experience. Mahle should be the Angels' top target, having worked with the newly hired pitching coach, Mike Maddux, during his time with the Texas Rangers. Mahle also grew up in Orange County, California, making a move to Anaheim an easier one for the 31-year-old. Other than that, Mahle’s numbers in 2025 were excellent before a right shoulder strain took out Mahle for a bulk of the season before returning in September. In 16 games, Mahle struck out 66 batters, giving up five homers to finish the year with a 2.18 ERA.
