Michael Soroka showed some interesting things last night in his return to Atlanta
There have not been a lot of positives to talk about lately with the Nationals, but I came away impressed with Michael Soroka’s performance. He came back to Atlanta for the first time since leaving the Braves, where has played most of his career. The numbers were not eye popping, but there is reason to believe he has success on the horizon.
On the surface, Soroka did not have an outstanding outing. A high pitch count forced him to exit after four innings, where he allowed two runs, both via a Drake Baldwin homer. Soroka allowed four hits and one walk while striking out four batters.
He was amped up to start the game, throwing the two hardest pitches of his career against former teammate Austin Riley in the first inning. While the velocity cooled off later in the game, he still averaged an impressive 94.8 MPH on his heater. That is way up from his career norms.
His big slider was also impressive and he was leaning on it a lot, throwing the pitch 41% of the time. He uses it both as a chase pitch and as a way to get free strikes. Braves hitters did a good job of making Soroka work, which is why he only got through five innings, but I was impressed with the quality of his stuff.
Despite having a 6.43 ERA in his first three starts, I think better things are on the horizon for the right hander. His underlying numbers are solid, with a 3.89 FIP and 3.26 xERA. That combined with his strong stuff makes him an interesting player.
One thing to keep in mind is that Soroka is only on a one-year deal. If the Nats season continues to tail spin, he could be a trade candidate. Soroka is just 27 years old, has strong stuff and solid underlying numbers. A lot of the more analytical playoff teams would be willing to take a shot on him. His velocity is also up over a tick this season.
Another factor is his bullpen experience. He did his best work in a multi-inning relief role with the White Sox last year, and a contender could look to use him in a similar sort of role. However, with Soroka just being 27, the Nats could look to re-sign him if he heats up. He is young enough to be a part of the teams timeline long term.
Before that, we need to see his stuff and underlying numbers turn into results. He was dominant through five against the Guardians, but struggled in that sixth inning. Soroka has yet to have a great start from start to finish. I think that could change soon though.
With all the injuries Soroka has had to deal with, it is cool to see him looking this sharp. Behind MacKenzie Gore, I think Soroka has the best pure stuff among Nats starters. It will not be too long before he turns that sharp stuff into good results.