The Angels may finally be stumbling onto something real in the bullpen.
For a franchise that has spent years piecing together relief help from reclamation bets, fading veterans and one-off dart throws, the 2026 group looked destined to follow the same script. Jordan Romano and Drew Pomeranz were supposed to be part of the answer.
That didn’t last. And while the club’s pitching woes have often been framed through the lens of failed starters, the same problem has lingered in the bullpen: too many relievers the Angels once hoped would become something more never quite did.
This time, though, there are actual signs of life.
Ben Joyce is back healthy and overpowering after a young career that has been interrupted far too often. When he’s right, the appeal is obvious.
His fastball can reach 105 miles per hour, and that kind of power gives the Angels a weapon few bullpens can match. But Joyce isn’t carrying the optimism alone anymore.
Samy Natera Jr. and Jose Fermin have both pushed their way into the conversation as young relievers with real upside. Natera Jr. recently hit the IL with back spasms, but since his June 6 call-up, the left-hander has been electric.
He’s worked 27 innings across 23 appearances and has piled up strikeouts at a 40.4% clip. The fastball is the headliner: a rising pitch that sits at 94.8 miles per hour, gets 19.6 inches of vertical rise, and plays even faster because of his 6.8 feet of extension.
Add in a slider that has generated a 57.7% whiff rate, and it’s easy to see why hitters have had such a hard time solving him. Natera Jr. has held opponents to a .140 batting average while posting a .200 ERA.
Fermin’s story is different, but just as encouraging. He got a look last season and flashed enough to keep the door open, but command issues dragged him down.
His walk rate sat at 15.1%, and the home runs followed at a brutal 2.10 HR/9. This year, the adjustment has been clear.
He’s basically reinvented his pitch mix. Last season, he leaned on his fastball 49.6% of the time.
Now it’s down to just 5.9%. In its place, he’s gone heavy with a slider he throws 58.3% of the time and a sinker that has jumped from 1.1% usage to 30%.
That shift has changed the profile of his outings. The sinker has helped him get the ball on the ground more often, lifting his ground-ball rate from 30.3% last year to 47.3% this season.
That, in turn, has brought his HR/9 down to 1.27. The slider remains the real difference-maker, with a run value of six, a 37.8% whiff rate and a .182 opponent batting average.
Over 42 2/3 innings, Fermin has put up a 3.16 ERA.
If Joyce stays healthy and remains in the mix, the Angels could have the shape of a legitimate late-inning trio for the next several seasons. A lefty and two righties gives them a clean look in high-leverage spots. And even if Joyce ends up getting traded, Natera Jr. and Fermin have already given the Angels something they’ve been short on for a long time: a bullpen foundation that actually looks worth building on.
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