Large Number of Pitches in An Inning Without Allowing A Run
During the Summer of 2025, there were two statistically odd first innings involving the two Northern Californian MLB teams (the A's and the Giants). According to this site, the average number of pitches thrown by an MLB pitcher per inning is somewhere between sixteen and seventeen. On June 27, New York Yankees starter Will Warren threw thirty-six (!!) pitches (over twice the average) in the first inning against the A's. Not a single Athletics player put a ball in play as Warren had three walks and three strikeouts. Even more remarkable than the thirty-six pitches was the fact that Warren did not allow a single run!
Warren recovered from the lengthy first inning to throw sixty-four pitches over the next four innings, an average of sixteen pitches per inning (very close to the MLB average). Warren's control was the key: he gave up only one walk in the second through fifth innings. Similar to the first inning, Warren allowed no runs in each of his final four innings. With the five shutout innings, he picked up the win as the Yankees won the game 3-0.
Less than a month later on July 23, San Francisco Giants hurler Justin Verlander outdid Warren. He threw forty pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning. And like Warren, he allowed zero runs in the opening frame and no runs in each of the four innings thereafter. He threw an economical 58 pitches during his last four innings (14.5 pitches per inning). The Giants won the game 9-3, and Verlander was credited with the win. It was Verlander's first win of the season and it ended a Giants record string of sixteen consecutive starts for him without obtaining a victory. (Going into the season, Verlander
had visions of 300 wins. Those hopes died with the winless stretch.)
The unique first innings of Warren and Verlander prompted the natural question: what is the highest number of pitches in an inning without allowing a run? After some Google research, I did not get a definitive answer to that question. However, I did learn that a pitcher bested Verlander, and it happened versus Verlander's team. On April 22, 2018, Angels rookie Jamie Barria tossed forty-nine pitches in the first inning against the Giants. The prolonged first inning included
this incredible 21-pitch at-bat by first baseman Brandon Belt. It was the longest at-bat (by pitches) in MLB history! Like Warren and Verlander, Barria allowed no runs in the first. Unlike those two, Barria did not last long. After the first inning, he only picked up three more outs (while allowing two runs) and lost the game 4-2.