Angels' Jose Soriano joins two legends in MLB history with hot start

Angels' Jose Soriano joins two legends in MLB history with hot start originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Angels are off to a decent start to the 2026 MLB season. They're 11-11, but there's a lot more to like about the Angels than their record.

Mike Trout looks to be back to his elite self, and hopefully, he can stay healthy for the full season and put together another All-Star and MVP-caliber season. But Jose Soriano has been even more impressive.

He's shutting down hitters and has a ridiculous 0.28 ERA in five starts with a 5-0 record this season. As USA Today's Bob Nightengale notes, this shutdown at the start of the year has Soriano joining two MLB greats in very rare history.

Jose Soriano joins 2 MLB greats with rare history

"Why, the only pitchers to allow one or no runs in the first five starts of a season are Hall of Famer Walter Johnson with the 1913 Washington Senators and Los Angeles Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela in 1981," Nightengale writes.

Soriano has allowed zero runs in four out of his five starts this season, with the lone run coming in an eight-inning outing against the Atlanta Braves.

He went six shutout innings in Game 1, six shutout innings in Game 2, seven shutout innings in Game 4, and then 5.2 shutout innings in Game 5.