Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski is having a strong start to the 2026 season despite only 15 strikeouts in 36 innings. His strikeout rate has dropped significantly from 27.1% last season to 10.5%, placing him in the bottom 2% of MLB.
Apr 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) celebrates in the dugout after the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski is off to a fantastic start in 2026, but heās missing a big part of a modern pitcherās game: the strikeout.
Wrobleski has just 15 strikeouts through 36 innings pitched this season, which is a bit of an oddity considering his ability to miss bats last season. He struck batters out at a 27.1% clip as a reliever in 2025, but that number has dropped to just 10.5% this seasonāranking in the bottom 2% of MLB.
That hasnāt deterred him from being one of the best starters in MLB so far this seasonāat least in terms of run prevention.
He has a 1.25 ERA after allowing five runs in 36 innings pitched, but only two runs in 32 innings as a starter. His 36 innings pitched arenāt enough to qualify for individual statistic leadership, but if he had the same ERA and qualified, his ERA would be second only to Shohei Ohtani in MLB.
āIām out there trying to get outs. However I get them, thatās great,ā Wrobleski said. āI think the strikeouts will come. I struck out people last year. Thatās not something thatās a crazy worry for me. Iām never going to give back six zeroes. However I need to do it, Iāll do it and hopefully keep rolling.ā
Justin Wrobleski's strikeout rate in 2026 is 10.5%, which ranks in the bottom 2% of MLB.
Justin Wrobleski has recorded 15 strikeouts through 36 innings pitched this season.
In 2025, Justin Wrobleski had a strikeout rate of 27.1% as a reliever.
Yes, Justin Wrobleski is considered one of the best starters in MLB this season in terms of run prevention.
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Apr 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) celebrates in the dugout after the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
Itās impossible to definitively say whether Wrobleski can continue getting results with how heās pitching, but the underlying metrics donāt seem to be in his favor.
Wrobleskiās expected ERA sits at 4.22, which ranks below league average for MLB pitchers. As a high-contact pitcher, his expected batting average against numbers arenāt favorable either. He ranks in the bottom 25% of MLB pitchers with a .270 expected mark.
Additionally, his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) and xFIP have ballooned since last season. His FIP rose to 3.22 from 2.93 last year, and his xFIP of 5.16 is nearly identical to his total in 2024, where he had a 5.70 ERA.
That being said, Wrobleski has continually proven advanced analytics wrong this season, and could very well continue stringing together impressive performances throughout the season.
He will get a real test against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, when heās scheduled to make his sixth start of the season. The Dodgers have two games before then, though, and will begin their series against the AL Eastās leaders Friday at 7:10 p.m. PT.
Do you think Justin Wrobleski can keep these results going?