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Blue Jays’ José Soriano discusses the ‘support’ he’s felt since joining Toronto
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Photo credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
Aug 13, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 12, 2026, 22:05 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays made one of the biggest splashes of the trade deadline when they went out and acquired right-hander José Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels. 
Soriano was brought to Toronto in exchange for a package that included three prospects from the Blue Jays’ farm system. Under contract for the remainder of this season and the two that follow, the hope is that Soriano can become a key figure in the Blue Jays’ rotation. 
On Wednesday, before Soriano’s home debut against the Boston Red Sox, the 27-year-old joined the 6ix Inning Stretch podcast with Lindsay Dunn and Whit Merrifield to discuss the experience of his Blue Jays debut, the relationship he’s been building with Dylan Cease, and what it was like returning from his second Tommy John surgery. 
Last Friday, Soriano was tasked with the series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies and squared off with National League Cy Young contender Zack Wheeler. In a 5-4 Blue Jays victory, Soriano turned in a pitching line of 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K and impressed with his ability to work out of trouble. 
“It was special because like I said, they are really good fans. I remember every moment of the outing in Philadelphia because there were a lot of fans there to support us,” Soriano said. “I didn’t even know they were going to have a lot of fans there, so it was very special.” 
For the foreseeable future, the Blue Jays are hoping that Soriano can slot in alongside Cease to form a dangerous duo at the top of the club’s rotation. Cease has been dynamic this season, pitching to a 7-5 record, a 2.40 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, all while sitting second in MLB with 191 strikeouts. 
Soriano, like Cease, joins the Blue Jays with what many described as untapped potential. Soriano possesses a fastball that averages 97.2 MPH to go along with a slider-splitter combination that brings a lot of intrigue to a pitcher who has a career ERA of 3.71. 
Often seen together on the broadcasts, Soriano spoke about the impact Cease has had on him as he gets comfortable in his new surroundings. 
“He’s having a really good year and he’s a really good teammate. I’ve just tried to see what he’s doing and see if I can learn anything from him,” Soriano said. “He’s a smart pitcher, so I just try and follow what he’s been doing the whole year. I ask him questions and he really takes his time answering them back, so I really appreciate him.” 
To this point in Soriano’s professional career he’s undergone two Tommy John surgeries. The surgeries came in back-to-back seasons, spanning 2020 and 2021, and limited Soriano to only two outings in the span of three seasons. Now in the rear-view mirror, Soriano spoke about what it was like to deal with that mentally.
“It was hard at one point because I got frustrated and wanted to give up and didn’t want to play baseball anymore,” Soriano said. “Thank God my dad is here because he helped me a lot. Once he talked to me, I realized I’m not going to throw away all the hard work     I’ve put in. So, after that, I always try to stay positive.” 
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