Three MLB Starters Facing Key Adjustments for 2026 Season

As spring camps creep closer, three starting pitchers are gearing up for some big changes in 2026.

Michael Lorenzen’s heading to the Rockies, which means he’ll have to figure out Coors Field with his wild eight-pitch mix. Roki Sasaki is sliding back into a rotation spot for the Dodgers after a solid stint in relief. Shota Imanaga, meanwhile, needs to find his old velocity and rhythm after last year’s injuries.

These stories show how much park quirks, pitch tweaks, and health can shape a team’s rotation.

Three Starting Pitchers Face Major Adjustments Heading into 2026

Each pitcher faces a unique challenge this year. One has to handle a hitter’s paradise, another’s refining his role, and the third is trying to get his fastball back after injury.

Here’s a closer look at what fans might want to keep an eye on as spring practice kicks off and teams scramble to lock in their rotations.

Michael Lorenzen: Adapting to Coors Field with an Eight-Pitch Arsenal

Michael Lorenzen just signed a one-year, $8 million deal with Colorado. That puts him right in the thick of Coors Field’s thin air, where fly balls can turn into homers in a blink.

To handle it, Lorenzen’s bringing an eight-pitch mix and has already thrown bullpens in Colorado, trying to dial in his movement and pitch shapes. Last year with Kansas City, he put up a 4.64 ERA, showing off seven different pitches—his four-seamer got the most use.

The Rockies love his flexibility. They need arms who can handle late-inning chaos and high-scoring games.

• Key adjustment: using movement and deception to fight Coors Field’s altitude
• Spring task: fine-tune all eight pitches and see how they behave in Colorado’s air
• Long-term goal: find some consistency in a park that’s anything but forgiving

Roki Sasaki: From Bullpen to Rotation — Finding a Third Pitch

Roki Sasaki’s MLB debut? A little up and down. He finished with a 4.46 ERA, 28 strikeouts, and 22 walks over eight starts before a shoulder issue landed him in the Dodgers’ bullpen.

He found his groove late in the year and looked sharp in the playoffs. That splitter was nasty—37.2% whiff rate. His fastball, though, only got 11.1% whiffs and hitters teed off when they saw it coming.

The Dodgers want him back in the rotation, but he’s gotta nail down a third pitch that can keep righties guessing. Sasaki’s working on a cutter and a two-seamer to go with his splitter and heater. He’s prepping for a full starter’s workload, and it’s a big ask.

• Rotation readiness: building up stamina and mixing pitches like a true starter
• Third-pitch development: adding a cutter and two-seamer to the mix
• Spring focus: put together a set of pitches that works against lefties and righties

Shota Imanaga: Health, Velocity, and Postseason Doubts After Hamstring Strain

Shota Imanaga’s 2024 was all about that rising fastball and his sharp splitter. But then came the 2025 hamstring strain, and suddenly his fastball velocity and vertical break dropped off.

That dip led to 24 home runs allowed in just 17 starts. His postseason performance? Still a huge question mark.

This spring, everyone’s talking about two things: his health and whether that fastball regains its edge. Imanaga needs to find that live velocity again and get back to the split-cutting command that made him such a breakout star.

Honestly, it all comes down to how he blends his experience with tweaks in pitch shape and sequencing. Can he really compete at the highest level in 2026? That’s what we’re all wondering.

• Health is everything: keeping a close eye on his hamstring and stamina during camp
• Velocity comeback: boosting that fastball’s pace and vertical movement
• Pitch mix: trusting the splitter, but mixing in a fastball with more movement

Spring workouts are rolling, and teams and scouts can’t help but watch every adjustment. We’ll see soon enough which tweaks work under game pressure and how rotations start shaping up for 2026.

 
Here is the source article for this story: A Look At Three Starters Facing 2026 Adjustments