Jeffrey Springs Having Trouble in the First

Coming into the season, Jeffrey Springs was one of two big additions to the Athletics starting rotation, along with free agent signee Luis Severino. Springs came to the A's in a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays and was an under-the-radar pick to potentially be the ace of the rotation before the season.

Through six starts with the A's, Springs holds a 6.04 ERA across 28.1 innings of work, so the production has not met the expectations in the early going.

Part of the reason for this is the left-hander's struggles in the first inning in 2025. In six first innings of work, he has allowed 12 hits, 14 runs (11 earned), allowed three home runs, walked eight and struck out eight. That boils down to a 16.50 ERA with a 3.33 WHIP.

Over the course of the whole year, he's given up 19 earned runs, five home runs, 15 walks, and struck out 18. That boils down to the first inning being responsible for 58% of his earned runs allowed, 60% of the home runs, 53% of the walks, and just 44% of the strikeouts.

After the first, Springs has an ERA of 3.26.

On Saturday, the Chicago White Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Springs, and added two more in the second inning. Last weekend the Milwaukee Brewers also scored four runs on him in the first. In the start before that, also against the White Sox, he allowed another three, then went on to toss four scoreless innings.

His other two April starts against the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs, both at home in West Sacramento, saw him give up three earned and zero earned. In that Cubs start, they got to him for four runs in the second inning.

Part of the problem may be that his velocity has been down from where it was pre-surgery in 2023 when he was nearly averaging 92 miles per hour with his four-seamer. When he returned last year it averaged 89.8, and this year it has ticked up slightly to 90.

That four-seamer has a batting average against of .467 (xBA of .337) and ranks in the first percentile in run value this season with a -9. So that is one of the symptoms of the issue, but it doesn't really explain why he's then able to pitch more like the guy that the A's traded for in subsequent innings.

A's manager Mark Kotsay said after Saturday's start that the White Sox took some good swings and Springs was leaving some pitches up in the zone. "To his credit, he stood out there and got through six innings, which was big. It helped the bullpen out."

Kotsay also wasn't sure what the root cause of his starter's struggles in the first have been.

"It could be a mindset thing, it could be just coming out and not having command out of the gate. He needs to be in the zone to have success."

One idea that the A's could kick around to see if it helps is implementing an opener--someone to pitch the first inning before the starter takes the mound. One guy that could be a great fit for that role, especially with how he's pitched in two appearances since getting called up this week, is right-hander Grant Holman.

The 24-year-old is a strike thrower, and is currently being used in non-leverage situations, which would make him a good fit to open games for Springs, if the A's decide to go that route. It wouldn't hurt that Holman is a righty and Springs is a lefty, which would cause some difficult decisions to be made by opposing managers.