James Paxton Must Get a Grip on His 1st-Inning Homer Issue

James Paxton's struggles throughout the course of the regular season have been well documented. His 4.01 ERA with 10 homers served up in 15 starts prior to the All-Star break left many New York Yankees fans in a bit of disbelief, as they expected far better results from the former Seattle Mariners ace.

Paxton eventually settled in, and even looked like a top of the rotation arm in his final seven starts, sporting a 1.69 ERA with 45 strikeouts and an awesome 0.83 WHIP. However, he never seemed to resolve his struggles in the first inning, as his numbers in opening frames are eye-popping for all the wrong reasons.

It didn't get much better for Paxton on Friday night against Minnesota in Game 1 of the ALDS, as he allowed a big fly to Jorge Polanco in the top of the first. It's dangerous to be behind at any point during a postseason game; however, one could argue it's especially dangerous when the opposing team's ace is given a slight cushion to start such an important game.

Luckily for Paxton, the Yankees got him out of trouble by dismantling the Minnesota Twins. The Bronx Bombers managed to explode for 10 runs to take the first game of the series.

Let's cut Paxton some minor slack. He has to face some of the best hitters an opposing team has to offer in the opening frame, which can't be easy. It must have been especially difficult going against the Twins' top three hitters on Friday, as Mitch Garver, Jorge Polanco, and Nelson Cruz combined for 94 homers on the year. Paxton's nerves in his postseason debut must have also played a factor, too.

While the Yankees were able to help out Paxton in this one, there may come a time where they won't be able to fight back so easily-- especially against a stronger team like the Houston Astros. It's not going to be easy to figure out, especially in the postseason, but he's going to have to find a way to shake off those rough first-inning woes.