José Soriano moved to No. 1 in Deportes’ weekly Al Rojas Vivo ranking after another dominant turn for the Los Ángeles Angels right-hander, who was listed as the top Latin American pitcher in the latest update. Through games played Monday, Soriano was 4-0 with a 0.33 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 27.0 innings.
His start has been unlike almost anything in the modern game. Soriano became the first pitcher since 1900 to throw more than 25 innings in his first four appearances of a season while allowing fewer than 10 hits and fewer than two runs. He also had three scoreless starts and two outings with 10 or more strikeouts, a run that put him second in MLB in fWAR at 0.9.
The ranking is updated every Tuesday and has been an Digital tradition for 21 years, tracking the most outstanding Latin American pitchers in Major League Baseball. Soriano, a right-hander from the Dominican Republic, beat out a group of arms that has stayed strong through the opening weeks of the season.
Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez had not allowed more than two runs in any of his first four starts and was 2-1 with a 2.01 ERA and 31 strikeouts. He also led MLB in strikeouts and ranked fourth with 12.49 strikeouts per nine innings. Arizona’s Eduardo Rodríguez had allowed one run in 18 innings over his first three starts, while San Diego’s Randy Vásquez was 1-0 with a 1.02 ERA, 19 strikeouts and four walks in 17.2 innings.
Miami’s Sandy Alcántara had thrown 30.1 innings, the most in baseball, and was the only pitcher with a complete game. He was 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA, 22 strikeouts and four walks in four starts. Soriano’s edge, though, was in the extremes: almost no runs, almost no hits and enough volume to make the start feel sustainable rather than lucky.
Elsewhere on the updated list, Detroit reliever Kenley Jansen tied Lee Smith for third on the all-time saves list with 478. Mariano Rivera leads with 652, and Trevor Hoffman is second with 601. For Soriano, the headline is simpler and more immediate: a pitcher who entered April with a hot streak is now holding the top spot in a ranking built to spotlight the best Latin arms in the majors.