JR Ritchie Gives Up a Homer on Pitch One, Then Wins His Debut Anyway

Talk about a brutal welcome to the big leagues. Twenty-two-year-old JR Ritchie threw one pitch in his MLB debut Thursday and watched it leave the ballpark. James Wood of the Nationals took that first offering deep, and Ritchie's heart probably sank to his stomach. But here's the thing: he recovered. Hard.

The Braves' rookie right-hander bounced back in a big way, leading Atlanta past Washington 7-2 for their eighth win in nine games. Ritchie pitched seven strong innings, giving up just one more run after that opening jolt. He scattered five hits, struck out seven, walked two, and threw 54 of his 89 pitches for strikes.

A Historic Rough Start, Then Absolute Control

Ritchie's postgame reaction? Pure perspective. "One pitch into it I was like, 'Oh no,' but after that I bounced back really well," he said. "Honestly, probably for the next year I will hate it. Then after that it will be like a funny, 'Hey, first pitch of my big league career I gave up a nuke.'"

Here's what makes this even more special: Ritchie became only the second pitcher in the last 50 years to allow a home run on his first MLB pitch and then earn the win. Jason Dickson did it back in 1996 with the Angels when Derek Jeter went deep on him. That's rare company.

The 35th overall pick from the 2022 amateur draft showed off an impressive arsenal. He averaged 94.4 mph with his fastball, mixing in 25 curves, 19 changeups, 10 sliders, seven cutters, and four sinkers. Braves manager Walt Weiss saw a kid in total control. "He's got a lot of weapons for right and left handed hitters," Weiss said. "He's in total control out there."

Stepping Into Elite Company

Ritchie (1-0) became the first Braves pitcher since Matt Wisler in 2015 to allow two runs or fewer over seven-plus innings in his debut. That's the kind of debut you dream about, even if it started with a home run.

The Braves' offense made sure to back him up, pulling away late to seal the 7-2 victory and keep rolling early in the season. This is a team that knows how to win right now.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.