Michael Soroka DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Michael Soroka (biceps) is listed as Sunday's starter when the Nationals face the Arizona Diamondbacks. Soroka exited Monday's contest early due to cramps in his biceps. According to Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com, the 27-year-old was able to play catch earlier on Wednesday, which is a good sign. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status in case he faces a setback. Before exiting his first outing of the campaign early, Soroka allowed five hits and four earned runs across five innings of work against the Toronto Blue Jays. Last season, the 27-year-old posted a 4.74 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP across 79 2/3 innings of work. He tallied 84 punchouts and held a high 12.7 percent walk rate. Fantasy managers should keep Soroka on their bench even if cleared for this matchup, as he will face a potent Arizona offense.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Washington Nationals have signed right-handed pitcher Michael Soroka. Soroka spent last season pitching for the Chicago White Sox and operated as both a reliever and a starter. Across 79 2/3 innings of work, the right-hander held a 4.74 ERA and 1.38 WHIP with an 0-10 record. However across 7 1/3 innings of relief in September, he held a perfect 0.00 ERA with a stellar 0.55 WHIP. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to how the Nationals plan to deploy Soroka as he flashed decent upside when operating out of the bullpen. If he does find a permanent spot in the bullpen, he could eventually earn a high-leverage role given the lack of proven options in the Nationals bullpen with Kyle Finnegan currently testing free agency.

Most teams interested in free-agent right-hander Michael Soroka prefer him as a back-end starting pitcher with front-line potential and not as a reliever despite his better numbers in a relief role with the Chicago White Sox in 2024, according to league sources. The 27-year-old finished as the runner-up for National League Rookie of the Year in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves. But since then, Soroka tore his right Achilles tendon twice and threw only 46 innings from 2020 to 2023. Between the rotation and bullpen in 2024 with the White Sox, he posted a 4.74 ERA in 79 2/3 innings. Soroka had a 6.39 ERA with 24 K's and 24 walks in 43 2/3 innings as a starter but posted a 2.75 ERA with 60 K's and 20 walks in 36 innings of relief. The difference was his heavy reliance on his four-seam fastball as a reliever. If he continues that usage and earns a starting role somewhere, he could be a sleeper to watch in fantasy.