I was watching a baseball game on TV. An elite pitcher was on the mound, however, it seems that he had some problems in the first inning. I chatted with some friends at the same time, then a friend asked if that pitcher’s performance wasn't so good in the first inning.
A friend quickly checked that pitcher’s stats and replied. After seeing that friend’s reply, I was just thinking of other top pitchers who might have similar problems. To solve my doubts, I decided to check on the MLB website.
First of all, in 2026, the first inning doesn’t look easy for Jacob deGrom, who’s a 2-time NL Cy Young award winner. He made 31 starts this season, posting a 4.20 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP over 162.2 innings. Those numbers aren’t so bad. However, in those 31 starts, deGrom gave up 28 runs (all earned) in the first inning. His ERA is over 8 in the first inning this season and opponents own a batting average over .270 against deGrom. In particular, deGrom gave up 10 home runs in the first inning this year.
Meanwhile, Eduardo Rodriguez has a great 2026 season. He made 32 starts, posting a 2.89 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP over 189.2 innings. And he got 16 wins. But there are some problems in the first inning. Rodriguez gave up 27 runs (all earned) in the first inning. Opponents’ batting average is .300 against him in the first inning.
In addition, Taj Bradley tossed a career high 178.1 innings in 2026. He made 31 starts this year. Bradley had a 3.73 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Nonetheless, in the first inning, he gave up 22 walks and allowed 24 runs (all earned). His ERA is over 6 in the first inning. In the meantime, Kyle Freeland made 26 starts for the Rockies in 2026. He finished the season with an ERA over 6. In the first inning, he gave up 26 runs and 24 of them were earned runs. Opponents hit .325 against Freeland in the first inning.
Moreover, Seth Lugo made 32 starts for the Royals in 2026, posting a 5.17 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP over 172.1 innings. It’s not an easy season for Lugo. It’s not easy in the first inning, either. In 2026, Lugo gave up 27 runs (24 earned) in the first inning. Opponents hit .328 against him in the first innings. That doesn’t look good.
Finally, Kumar Rocker, who’s a teammate of Jacob deGrom, has a similar problem. Rocker made 27 starts and 3 relief appearances for the Rangers in 2026. In those 27 starts, he allowed 24 runs (all earned) in the first innings. And opponents hit .331 against him.
Looking at these pitchers’ performances, it might be hard to believe that deGrom has some problems in the first inning. At the same time, his teammate, Kumar Rocker, has the same problem. That might be a task for the Rangers front office or pitching staff to figure out some solutions in the offseason. And for Taj Bradley, he's the only pitcher who gave up 20+ free passes in the first inning. Is there a better way for him to find the strike zone in the first inning? We have to wait until the next season.
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