One of the biggest surprises for the Angels this season has been the emergence of Jose Soriano, who has quickly established himself as an important piece of the team’s future. While much of the attention has deservedly gone to Soriano’s breakout, another young arm has quietly started making a name for himself within the organization. Walbert Urena may not be generating the same headlines just yet, but his recent performance is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. As he continues putting together strong outings, Urena is beginning to look like a pitcher who could eventually factor into the Angels’ long term rotation plans.
The Breakout Is Supported By More Than Results
The recent Success from Walbert Urena is not simply the result of a few strong outings. Through 44.1 innings pitched in the 2026 season, Urena owns an impressive 2.44 ERA while recording 41 strikeouts. The advanced metrics make his performance even more encouraging. Urena ranks in the 93rd percentile in fastball velocity, giving him the type of arm strength that immediately stands out on the mound. He also sits in the 99th percentile in off-speed run value, highlighting the effectiveness of his secondary pitches, while his 87th percentile ground ball rate continues helping him limit the damage and work out of trouble. The combination of production and underlying metrics suggests this breakout is being built on much more than good fortune.
Beyond the numbers, Urena’s emergence is significant because of what it could mean for the future of the Angels’ pitching staff. The organization has spent years searching for young arms capable of developing into reliable major league starters. A need that was highlighted when the Angels used every selection in the 2021 MLB draft on pitchers. While much of the attention has recently gone toward the breakout of Jose Soriano, Urena is quietly building a strong case of his own. The combination of velocity, swing and miss ability, and ability to generate ground balls gives him a foundation that teams look for in long term rotation pieces. If he continues performing at this level, the Angels may have found another pitcher capable of helping anchor their staff for years to come.
It is still early in Urena’s development, but the signs are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. The results have been impressive, the underlying metrics support the success, and his long term outlook continues trending in the right direction. If he can maintain this level of performance Angels fan’s may finally have some pitching to look forward to.
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