Breaking Down George Soriano's 2026 Breakout
Credit: Sam Navarro – Imagn Images
On February 10th — just days before pitchers and catchers were set to report to camp — the Cardinals made a surprising trade with the Washington Nationals that left many fans questioning Chaim Bloom’s bullpen decision-making. St. Louis sent right-hander Andre Granillo to Washington in exchange for fellow right-hander George Soriano.
Background
Granillo, a 26-year-old reliever, had emerged as a promising bullpen piece after posting strong results during a brief 14-game stint in 2025. Many fans believed he could play a meaningful role in the Cardinals' relief corps moving forward. Trading him for Soriano, who struggled considerably throughout the 2025 season, was viewed by many as a puzzling move and quickly became a source of skepticism among the fanbase.
What many fans didn't realize at the time was the vision the Cardinals' front office had for Soriano. Looking back now, it's safe to say the trade has aged far better than most expected. In fact, many of the same fans who questioned the move are likely glad Chaim Bloom pulled the trigger.
With the Cardinals' bullpen struggling throughout the 2026 season, Soriano has emerged as one of its most reliable arms. Through 26 appearances, the right-hander has posted a 2-0 record with a 2.92 ERA while striking out 22 batters across 24.2 innings pitched. His steady production has helped stabilize a relief corps in need of consistency, turning what once looked like a questionable trade into a move that has paid significant dividends for St. Louis.
That naturally raises the question: what changed? How did a pitcher who struggled mightily in 2025 suddenly become a dependable high-leverage option in 2026? To understand Soriano's turnaround, let's take a closer look at the adjustments he and the Cardinals have made.
Pitch Movements
Changeup:
There's no question about it: Soriano's changeup is his best pitch and grades out as a true plus offering. However, the pitch didn't generate the results it was capable of in 2025 because he struggled to maintain a consistent feel for it. Throughout the season, Soriano was unintentionally throwing two different versions of the pitch — one that behaved more like a kick change and another that moved like a traditional circle change. Based on his grip, it was clear his intention was to throw a circle change, and that's the version that best fits his arsenal. By finding a more consistent release and movement profile in 2026, Soriano has been able to generate more consistent horizontal movement and even more drop, helping him miss barrels, induce weaker contact, and maximize the effectiveness of his best pitch.
Slider:
While Soriano's changeup has benefited from improved consistency and increased vertical drop, his slider has undergone an even more dramatic transformation. In 2025, he threw a gyro slider that averaged just under three inches of glove-side movement, but in 2026, the pitch has evolved into a true gyro slider, averaging virtually zero inches of horizontal movement. Although the slider produced solid results in 2025, it has been even more effective this season. The tighter, more gyroscopic shape allows it to tunnel exceptionally well off his four-seam fastball, making it difficult for hitters to distinguish between a hard fastball and a slider until it's too late.
Velocity
One additional change worth noting is that Soriano is throwing harder across the board in 2026. Nearly every pitch in his arsenal has gained between one and two miles per hour compared to last season. While the increase may seem modest, even a small velocity jump can have a significant impact at the major-league level. The added velocity gives hitters less time to react, enhances the separation between his fastball and off-speed pitches, and has likely played a role in the improved effectiveness of his entire arsenal.
Pitch Usage
The Cardinals didn't just alter the shape of Soriano's pitches — they also completely reworked how he uses them. In 2025, his pitch mix was relatively balanced outside of a changeup that led the way at 31%. The sinker, four-seam fastball, sweeper, and slider all sat within a narrow usage band between 16% and 19%. In 2026, however, the Cardinals have streamlined his arsenal around his two most effective offerings. His four-seam fastball now leads the way at 27%, followed closely by the changeup at 26%, while the slider has seen the biggest jump, increasing from just 16% of his pitches in 2025 to 23% this season. At the same time, the sinker and sweeper have been pushed into supporting roles, combining for just 23% of his overall pitch usage. By emphasizing Soriano's best weapons — particularly his improved slider and more consistent changeup — the Cardinals have created a more focused attack plan. The changes become even more apparent when looking at how Soriano attacks right-handed and left-handed hitters.
Pitch Usages Vs Right-Handed Hitters:
There are two particularly notable changes in how Soriano has attacked right-handed hitters in 2026. The first is a dramatic reduction in changeup usage. In 2025, the changeup was one of his primary weapons against righties, but this season it has become his least-used pitch in those matchups, accounting for just 13% of his pitches and standing as the only offering he throws less than 20% of the time against right-handed hitters. The second change is a greater reliance on his four-seam fastball and slider. After being his least-thrown pitch against right-handed hitters in 2025, the four-seamer has become a key part of his attack plan, with its usage nearly doubling from 11% to 21%. The slider has also seen a modest increase in usage and is now his most frequently thrown pitch against righties this season. While the four-seam fastball and slider have taken on larger roles, Soriano has not abandoned his sinker and sweeper, as both pitches continue to be used regularly and give hitters additional looks. Together, these changes reflect a more aggressive and diversified approach that allows Soriano to maximize the tunneling effect between his fastball and newly refined gyro slider, making it far more difficult for hitters to distinguish between the two pitches out of his hand.
Pitch Usages Vs Left-Handed Hitters:
Against left-handed hitters, Soriano was essentially a two-pitch pitcher in 2025. He relied heavily on his changeup, throwing it 41% of the time, while his four-seam fastball was his second-most-used pitch at 23%. His other three offerings — the slider, sinker, and sweeper — were used sparingly, each falling between 11% and 13%. In 2026, however, Soriano has evolved into a true three-pitch pitcher against lefties. The changeup remains his go-to weapon at 40%, but his four-seam fastball usage has jumped up 10 points to 33%, and his slider usage has increased by nine points to 22%. Meanwhile, the sinker and sweeper have been almost completely phased out against left-handed hitters. By concentrating his pitch mix around his changeup and slider while increasing the usage of his four-seam fastball, Soriano has simplified his approach and created a more effective attack plan. The fastball serves as a bridge between his two primary swing-and-miss pitches, helping him set up both offerings and making it more difficult for left-handed hitters to anticipate what's coming next.
While it remains to be seen how the trade will look years from now, the early returns are difficult to ignore. What once appeared to be a questionable move has quickly become one of the first examples of the Cardinals' new front office identifying and unlocking overlooked talent. For now, George Soriano is proving that the organization's vision was right — and that there was far more beneath the surface than his 2025 numbers suggested.
