Justin Wrobleski is proving that in baseball, there's more than one way to dominate—even if you're not racking up the strikeouts. The Los Angeles Dodgers starter has been quietly putting together a phenomenal start to the 2026 season, posting a sparkling 1.25 ERA through 36 innings pitched. But here's the twist: he's doing it without the high strikeout numbers that define so many of today's top pitchers.
With just 15 strikeouts so far, Wrobleski's numbers are a head-scratcher for modern baseball analysts. Last season, he was striking batters out at a 27.1% clip as a reliever. This year, that rate has plummeted to just 10.5%—landing him in the bottom 2% of all MLB pitchers. Yet, he's allowed only five runs all season, with just two coming in his 32 innings as a starter. If he qualified for the ERA leaderboard, his 1.25 mark would trail only Shohei Ohtani for the best in the majors.
"I'm out there trying to get outs. However I get them, that's great," Wrobleski said with a shrug. "I think the strikeouts will come. I struck out people last year. That's not something that's a crazy worry for me. I'm never going to give back six zeroes. However I need to do it, I'll do it and hopefully keep rolling."
It's an attitude that's refreshing in an era obsessed with swing-and-miss stuff. But can he keep it up? The underlying metrics suggest some caution. His expected ERA sits at 4.22—below league average—and his expected batting average against ranks in the bottom 25% of the league at .270. His Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) has actually risen to 3.22 from 2.93 last year, and his xFIP of 5.16 is nearly identical to his 2024 mark, when he posted a 5.70 ERA.
Numbers aside, Wrobleski has been defying the analytics all season long, proving that run prevention is an art form that goes beyond strikeouts. He's a high-contact pitcher who trusts his defense and his ability to induce weak contact when it matters most.
His next test comes Sunday against the Atlanta Braves, a lineup that will challenge his approach. For Dodgers fans and baseball purists alike, Wrobleski's unconventional success is a reminder that sometimes, the best way to get outs is simply to get them—however they come. And for a pitcher wearing Dodger blue, that's all that really matters.