| Year | W | L | ERA | GS | IP | K | BB | WHIP | K/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 8 | 3.99 | 20 | 99.0 | 38 | 33 | 1.29 | 3.44 |
| 2025 | 4 | 9 | 4.71 | 22 | 109.1 | 49 | 40 | 1.45 | 4.0 |
| 2026 ST | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3.10 ERA. The Sinker Is Working. The K Rate Is Still the Question.
Jack Kochanowicz is in the rotation and has a 3.10 ERA through his early starts in 2026. That number surprised people. The pre-season framing was clear: his ground ball rate (57.3% in 2024, third-best in the AL) is elite, but his K/9 (3.44, worst among qualified MLB starters) created a ceiling question that hadn't been answered. Through the first seven weeks, the sinker is doing what it's supposed to do at a higher level than the 2024 data predicted.
The circumstances helped. With Rodriguez on IL since Opening Day and Kikuchi shut down in early May with an arm issue, Kochanowicz went from fifth-starter competitor to rotation piece without an option. He took the spot. The ERA is 3.10. The ground balls are happening. The K rate question is still open — lineups that adjust to his sinker-heavy approach will eventually force that answer — but he has not been forced to give it yet, and the early results say he is getting hitters out.
The Angels need him to keep it going. Soriano carries the rotation, Detmers is performing at 4.08, and Kochanowicz at 3.10 gives the staff a functional third option. The second weapon — the refined four-seamer or curveball that scouts have talked about — has not been the story so far. The story has been ground balls and a 3.10 ERA, and right now, that is enough.