Angels reliever Sam Bachman finds success after years of injuries
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Mention to Sam Bachman that it's now been almost a year since he's had any sort of health issue, and he turns quickly to knock on the nearest piece of wood.
As good as the right-hander feels these days, it's understandable that he doesn't want to take anything for granted.
Bachman, the Angels' first-round draft pick in 2021, has been through years of injuries and inconsistency to get here. Now, there are signs that he might be starting a breakthrough season.
"I wasn't able to work on things for a few years with the Angels," Bachman said. "It was so stop-and-go. … I just needed an on-ramp, period, where I could get consistent reps and just feel my way through a lot of this stuff. I think that's been the biggest thing."
Bachman, 26, won a spot in the Angels' bullpen with a strong spring training, and he's got a 2.63 ERA in 13⅔ innings so far this season.
"I'm excited," Bachman said. "Just getting in a groove and really finding my stride. Just building and continue to keep harnessing and working on my stuff."
The stuff is trending up.
Bachman hit 101.4 mph with a fastball on April 5 against the Seattle Mariners, the hardest pitch of his major league career. He had never cracked 100 in the big leagues before doing it eight times this season.
"It's been a while since I was able to run it up to those velocities," Bachman said. "I don't think I'd done it in pro ball at all. So it's kind of cool to see my college shape kind of come back, velo-wise."
Back at Miami (Ohio) University, Bachman threw hard enough to draw the attention of the Angels. They took him with the first pick in their memorable all-pitcher draft. For a few years, the draft looked like a failure because only two of the 20 pitchers they took reached the majors with the Angels. (The other is right-hander Chase Silseth, who is also currently in the Angels' bullpen.)
Bachman got to the major leagues less than two years after the draft, and he showed promise in his first 11 games. A shoulder injury ended his season in July 2023, and had surgery in the fall.
From there, it was a long road of rehabbing, with other injuries also interrupting his progress. In the spring of 2025, he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.
Bachman managed to avoid surgery, and he began pitching in the minors last May. He returned to the majors last summer. Bachman struggled with his control and he had a 6.64 ERA in 23 games, which is why he was considered a longshot to make the team this spring.
As it turns out, all Bachman might have needed was more time to worry about pitching and not rehabbing.
Aside from the higher velocity, Bachman has improved the movement on his changeup and slider. The whiff rate on his slider has gone from 32% to 42%, and on his changeup it's gone from 15% to 30%.
Bachman's slider has been the 15th-most valuable pitch in the majors this season, according to MLB data. It's the second-best pitch on the Angels' staff, behind only José Soriano's sinker.
He said working with new pitching coach Mike Maddux has helped.
"He keeps it very simple and I think that's what I really resonate with, not overcomplicating too much," Bachman said. "That's never worked for me in the past. It feels good, that he simplifies things. In a game that can be difficult at times, he's been really good for a lot of us."
Command was still a problem for Bachman in his first few outings of the season. He walked eight in 7⅓ innings, including a nightmarish game on April 12 in Cincinnati. He faced seven batters, walked three, gave up two hits and threw a wild pitch.
Since then, though, he's pitched 6⅓ scoreless innings, with no walks and seven strikeouts.
He knows he has to keep it going, though.
"Honestly, just staying one a day at a time," Bachman said. "I never want to really feel like I’ve made it or established myself because I think I always have a chip on my shoulder. That's usually when I am at my best."
For now, he's valuable out of the Angels' bullpen because he's been effective and he's shown no problems maintaining that over multiple innings.
Any reliever who can be reliable will quickly become a favorite of his manager.
"When I watched him the past few years, I've always thought that this guy has the potential to be elite," first-year Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. "He's throwing 99 with sink and run, and the slider-changeup. I'm excited with the way he's throwing, with the way he's feeling and all those type of things.
"It's a long season and he's learning how to – not to pace himself – to take care of himself. Whatever routine he's falling into, I think he's starting to get a better idea of it. It's nice for him to get results, because this guy works hard."
UP NEXT
Angels (LHP Yusei Kikuchi, 0-2, 5.63 ERA) at Royals (LHP Noah Cameron, 1-1, 5.40 ERA), Friday, 4:40 p.m. PT, FanDuel Sports Network, 830 AM
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.