Braves’ JR Ritchie’s first pitch in MLB went as poorly as it possibly could’ve originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Atlanta Braves‘ starting rotation has had some major issues this season, but they’ve held up well all year. And recently, they’ve even given Didier Fuentes and now JR Ritchie, two rookies, the chance to start.
While Fuentes made his debut in the Majors last year, Ritchie’s debut in the Major Leagues came on Thursday, April 23, against the Washington Nationals.
Unfortunately for Ritchie, James Wood, the Nationals All-Star slugger, slugged a home run on the first pitch of the game, and the first pitch of Ritchie’s career. This was the worst possible start to Ritchie’s career.
James Wood makes JR Ritchie’s debut pitch one to forget
“James Wood slugs a first-pitch leadoff homer! He’s hit 5 home runs in his last 7 games,” @MLB posted on Twitter/x.
James Wood slugs a first-pitch leadoff homer!
He’s hit 5 home runs in his last 7 games 💪 pic.twitter.com/Y4P1pEBJ2S
— MLB (@MLB) April 23, 2026
It’s hard to get worse than this for Ritchie. The very first pitch of his Major League career was hit over the fence for a solo home run.
After allowing that leadoff homer, Ritchie was able to bounce back and get the next three batters out on a groundout, strikeout, and a flyout.
But, it doesn’t take away from the first-pitch homer from Wood that made Ritchie’s MLB career start off with a bang for all the wrong reasons.
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This season in the minor leagues at Triple-A, Ritchie had posted a 0.99 ERA in five starts with only one home run allowed in 27.1 innings.
In the Majors, his first pitch was hit for a home run. While a brutal way to begin an MLB career, his ability to settle down and get the next three batters out was impressive.
Ritchie is a top pitching prospect in all of Major League Baseball and could be in store for a big season for the Braves.
Even though this wasn’t the best way to begin his career, as his ERA was infinite for a short moment, he’s still someone Braves fans should be excited about.
This was just an unfortunate way to begin a career. It’s about the worst way a pitcher can begin their career, giving up a first-pitch home run.
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