MLB NRFI Stats 2026: First-Inning Scoring by Team and Starting Pitcher
How often is there no run in the first inning? In the 2026 MLB regular season, 49.4% of 2,429 games stayed scoreless through the first (NRFI). The Marlins led the league at 60% of their games; the Rockies were last at 38%. The tables below come from the official inning-by-inning line scores and cover the regular season through September 27, 2026. Our NRFI and YRFI picks start from a 20,000-simulation model of each game rather than from these rates, but the rates are the context every bettor should know.
NRFI rate by team, 2026
NRFI is a game with no run by either team in the first inning. Scored in 1st and Allowed in 1st are the team’s own halves, which is what drives the NRFI rate from each side.
| Team | Games | NRFI | Rate | Home | Away | Scored in 1st | Allowed in 1st |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Marlins | 162 | 97 | 60% | 58% | 62% | 25% | 25% |
| San Diego Padres | 162 | 96 | 59% | 60% | 58% | 25% | 24% |
| Baltimore Orioles | 161 | 90 | 56% | 63% | 49% | 25% | 29% |
| Cleveland Guardians | 162 | 90 | 56% | 54% | 57% | 28% | 25% |
| Chicago Cubs | 162 | 86 | 53% | 46% | 60% | 28% | 24% |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 162 | 86 | 53% | 52% | 54% | 31% | 23% |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 162 | 85 | 52% | 51% | 54% | 32% | 24% |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 162 | 84 | 52% | 44% | 59% | 31% | 23% |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 162 | 84 | 52% | 49% | 54% | 30% | 28% |
| New York Yankees | 161 | 83 | 52% | 51% | 52% | 28% | 26% |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 162 | 83 | 51% | 57% | 46% | 30% | 31% |
| Atlanta Braves | 162 | 83 | 51% | 51% | 52% | 30% | 28% |
| Detroit Tigers | 162 | 82 | 51% | 60% | 41% | 33% | 26% |
| Los Angeles Angels | 162 | 81 | 50% | 46% | 54% | 33% | 24% |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 162 | 81 | 50% | 48% | 52% | 25% | 31% |
| Washington Nationals | 162 | 80 | 49% | 49% | 49% | 31% | 28% |
| New York Mets | 162 | 79 | 49% | 49% | 48% | 30% | 32% |
| San Francisco Giants | 162 | 79 | 49% | 57% | 41% | 28% | 31% |
| Boston Red Sox | 162 | 79 | 49% | 49% | 48% | 25% | 35% |
| Kansas City Royals | 162 | 77 | 48% | 43% | 52% | 33% | 32% |
| Houston Astros | 162 | 76 | 47% | 49% | 44% | 34% | 30% |
| Cincinnati Reds | 162 | 76 | 47% | 52% | 42% | 27% | 36% |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 162 | 75 | 46% | 43% | 49% | 32% | 27% |
| Athletics | 162 | 75 | 46% | 42% | 51% | 28% | 36% |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 162 | 74 | 46% | 48% | 43% | 29% | 33% |
| Seattle Mariners | 162 | 74 | 46% | 48% | 43% | 30% | 34% |
| Chicago White Sox | 162 | 72 | 44% | 47% | 42% | 33% | 34% |
| Texas Rangers | 162 | 66 | 41% | 40% | 42% | 30% | 35% |
| Minnesota Twins | 162 | 65 | 40% | 46% | 35% | 35% | 36% |
| Colorado Rockies | 162 | 62 | 38% | 28% | 48% | 31% | 41% |
Best first-inning records among starting pitchers (15+ starts)
Starts are the games where the pitcher was the listed starter. Scoreless is the number of those games with no run allowed in the top or bottom of the first.
| Pitcher | Team | Starts | Scoreless 1st | Rate | 1st-inning runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Alvarez | Washington Nationals | 17 | 16 | 94% | 1 |
| Jesús Luzardo | Philadelphia Phillies | 29 | 27 | 93% | 3 |
| Trevor Rogers | Baltimore Orioles | 30 | 27 | 90% | 4 |
| Kyle Bradish | Baltimore Orioles | 29 | 26 | 90% | 4 |
| Logan Henderson | Milwaukee Brewers | 18 | 16 | 89% | 2 |
| Casey Mize | Detroit Tigers / San Diego Padres | 26 | 23 | 88% | 5 |
| Cam Schlittler | New York Yankees | 33 | 29 | 88% | 9 |
| Shane McClanahan | Tampa Bay Rays | 24 | 21 | 88% | 5 |
| Drew Rasmussen | Tampa Bay Rays | 30 | 26 | 87% | 9 |
| Edward Cabrera | Chicago Cubs | 15 | 13 | 87% | 4 |
| Chase Burns | Cincinnati Reds | 29 | 25 | 86% | 9 |
| Jared Jones | Pittsburgh Pirates | 21 | 18 | 86% | 4 |
| Chris Sale | Atlanta Braves | 27 | 23 | 85% | 4 |
| Walbert Ureña | Los Angeles Angels | 27 | 23 | 85% | 7 |
| Sandy Alcantara | Miami Marlins | 33 | 28 | 85% | 12 |
| Michael King | San Diego Padres | 32 | 27 | 84% | 6 |
| Parker Messick | Cleveland Guardians | 32 | 27 | 84% | 5 |
| Shane Drohan | Milwaukee Brewers | 19 | 16 | 84% | 5 |
| Hunter Brown | Houston Astros | 19 | 16 | 84% | 4 |
| Jake Bennett | Boston Red Sox | 19 | 16 | 84% | 4 |
| Brandon Pfaadt | Arizona Diamondbacks | 19 | 16 | 84% | 4 |
| Keider Montero | Detroit Tigers | 25 | 21 | 84% | 5 |
| Janson Junk | Miami Marlins | 25 | 21 | 84% | 8 |
| Nick Martinez | Tampa Bay Rays | 31 | 26 | 84% | 6 |
| Foster Griffin | Cleveland Guardians / Washington Nationals | 31 | 26 | 84% | 11 |
| Jack Flaherty | Detroit Tigers | 18 | 15 | 83% | 7 |
| Grant Holmes | Atlanta Braves | 29 | 24 | 83% | 10 |
| Landen Roupp | San Francisco Giants | 29 | 24 | 83% | 9 |
| Roki Sasaki | Los Angeles Dodgers | 23 | 19 | 83% | 7 |
| Ryan Gusto | Miami Marlins | 17 | 14 | 82% | 5 |
Most first-inning runs allowed (15+ starts)
| Pitcher | Team | Starts | Scoreless 1st | Rate | 1st-inning runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Houser | San Francisco Giants | 16 | 6 | 38% | 17 |
| Max Scherzer | Toronto Blue Jays | 18 | 8 | 44% | 17 |
| Zac Gallen | Arizona Diamondbacks | 20 | 9 | 45% | 19 |
| Kumar Rocker | Texas Rangers | 26 | 12 | 46% | 24 |
| Zebby Matthews | Minnesota Twins | 23 | 11 | 48% | 18 |
| Seth Lugo | Kansas City Royals | 32 | 16 | 50% | 27 |
| Jeffrey Springs | Athletics | 29 | 15 | 52% | 24 |
| Luis Castillo | Chicago White Sox / Seattle Mariners | 23 | 12 | 52% | 18 |
| Erick Fedde | Chicago White Sox | 17 | 9 | 53% | 12 |
| Mike Burrows | Houston Astros | 17 | 9 | 53% | 14 |
NRFI rate by month
| Month | Games | NRFI | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 76 | 45 | 59% |
| April | 392 | 195 | 50% |
| May | 419 | 198 | 47% |
| June | 394 | 186 | 47% |
| July | 371 | 190 | 51% |
| August | 417 | 216 | 52% |
| September | 360 | 170 | 47% |
League NRFI rate by season
| Season | Games | NRFI rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,430 | 51.8% |
| 2023 | 2,430 | 49.8% |
| 2024 | 2,429 | 53.3% |
| 2025 | 2,430 | 49.8% |
| 2026 | 2,429 | 49.4% |
Team pages
Arizona Diamondbacks · Athletics · Atlanta Braves · Baltimore Orioles · Boston Red Sox · Chicago Cubs · Chicago White Sox · Cincinnati Reds · Cleveland Guardians · Colorado Rockies · Detroit Tigers · Houston Astros · Kansas City Royals · Los Angeles Angels · Los Angeles Dodgers · Miami Marlins · Milwaukee Brewers · Minnesota Twins · New York Mets · New York Yankees · Philadelphia Phillies · Pittsburgh Pirates · San Diego Padres · San Francisco Giants · Seattle Mariners · St. Louis Cardinals · Tampa Bay Rays · Texas Rangers · Toronto Blue Jays · Washington Nationals
What percentage of MLB games are NRFI?
In the 2026 regular season, 49.4% of games had no run in the first inning. The rate moves a few points from season to season and with the weather, and it varies a lot by starting pitcher.
Which team has the best NRFI record in 2026?
The Miami Marlins, with no first-inning run in 97 of 162 games (60%). The Colorado Rockies had the lowest rate at 38%.
Which starting pitcher has the best first-inning record?
Andrew Alvarez, who allowed no first-inning run in 16 of 17 starts (94%) in 2026. The list above shows every starter with 15 or more starts.
Does a high team NRFI rate make NRFI a good bet?
Only if the price does not already reflect it. Books price NRFI from the same starters, lineups and parks, so a team’s record is the starting point, not the edge. Our model simulates every game 20,000 times with that day’s starters, lineups and weather and compares the result to the posted price; see MLB NRFI and YRFI picks and the NRFI guide.
Source: MLB Stats API line scores and probable starters, 2026 regular season. Updated October 13, 2026. Back to all stats.