Is this the year that Michael Soroka finally figures it all out? The Arizona Diamondbacks certainly hope so. After a rocky 2025 season that saw him move to the bullpen for a short time, the D-Backs are taking a flyer on the former All-Star. Soroka made his season debut for Arizona against the Detroit Tigers, and his debut was nothing short of spectacular.
Soroka pitched five innings in his Diamondbacks debut, and all of them were perfect. The former first-round pick by the Atlanta Braves struck out 10 batters in his debut, not allowing a single run in the process. His electric first game puts him above a certified Arizona legend, Randy Johnson, in the D-Backs record books, according to Bob Nightengale.
“Michael Soroka's 10 strikeouts are the most by a pitcher in his Diamondbacks' debut in franchise history, eclipsing Hall of Famer Randy Johnson's nine strikeouts in his 1999 D-backs debut,” Nightengale wrote.
The highlight of Soroka's night came in his final inning. In the fifth inning, the Diamondbacks pitcher faced off against the Tigers' 9th, 1st, and 2nd hitters in Javier Baez, Kerry Carpenter, and Gleyber Torres, respectively. Soroka saved his best performance for last, striking out all three players in just nine pitches – an immaculate inning. He became just the fourth pitcher in franchise history to pitch an immaculate inning, joining Johnson, Byung-Hyun Kim, and Wade Miley.
Drafted 28th overall by the Braves in 2018, Soroka was seen as one of the best young prospects in the league during his early days. He was an All-Star in 2019 and was destined to be the next great Atlanta pitcher. However, Soroka suffered multiple injuries during his stint with Atlanta that forced him out of the rotation for long stretches. He was traded to the White Sox in 2023 and then signed with the Nationals in 2024 before being traded to the Cubs in 2025.
The Diamondbacks are hoping that Soroka's immaculate start to his career in Arizona is a sign of revival. Soroka had struggled in previous years, even gaining the dishonor of having a no-win season in 2023 (0-10 record, 4.74 ERA). Is this the year he puts it all together?
