diff --git a/python/ray/data/_internal/block_batching/iter_batches.py b/python/ray/data/_internal/block_batching/iter_batches.py
index f807ae2078dc..9dc052d12aaa 100644
--- a/python/ray/data/_internal/block_batching/iter_batches.py
+++ b/python/ray/data/_internal/block_batching/iter_batches.py
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ def __init__(
             if actor_prefetcher_enabled
             else WaitBlockPrefetcher()
         )
+        self._yielded_first_batch = False
 
     def _prefetch_blocks(
         self, ref_bundles: Iterator[RefBundle]
@@ -235,15 +236,29 @@ def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[DataBatch]:
         return self._iter_batches()
 
     def before_epoch_start(self):
-        pass
+        self._yielded_first_batch = False
 
     def after_epoch_end(self):
         StatsManager.clear_iteration_metrics(self._dataset_tag)
 
     @contextmanager
     def get_next_batch_context(self):
-        with self._stats.iter_total_blocked_s.timer() if self._stats else nullcontext():
-            yield
+        try:
+            if self._stats:
+                # Always track total blocked time
+                total_timer = self._stats.iter_total_blocked_s.timer()
+                # Also track the time until the first batch is ready
+                first_batch_ready_timer = (
+                    self._stats.iter_time_to_first_batch_s.timer()
+                    if not self._yielded_first_batch
+                    else nullcontext()
+                )
+                with total_timer, first_batch_ready_timer:
+                    yield
+            else:
+                yield
+        finally:
+            self._yielded_first_batch = True
 
     @contextmanager
     def yield_batch_context(self, batch: Batch):
diff --git a/python/ray/data/_internal/stats.py b/python/ray/data/_internal/stats.py
index d00b45c89b8a..7f4222f68426 100644
--- a/python/ray/data/_internal/stats.py
+++ b/python/ray/data/_internal/stats.py
@@ -280,6 +280,12 @@ def __init__(self, max_stats=1000):
             description="Seconds user thread is blocked by iter_batches()",
             tag_keys=iter_tag_keys,
         )
+        self.time_to_first_batch_s = Gauge(
+            "data_iter_time_to_first_batch_seconds",
+            description="Total time spent waiting for the first batch after starting iteration. "
+            "This includes the dataset pipeline warmup time. This metric is accumulated across different epochs.",
+            tag_keys=iter_tag_keys,
+        )
         self.iter_user_s = Gauge(
             "data_iter_user_seconds",
             description="Seconds spent in user code",
@@ -469,6 +475,7 @@ def update_iteration_metrics(
     ):
         tags = self._create_tags(dataset_tag)
         self.iter_total_blocked_s.set(stats.iter_total_blocked_s.get(), tags)
+        self.time_to_first_batch_s.set(stats.iter_time_to_first_batch_s.get(), tags)
         self.iter_user_s.set(stats.iter_user_s.get(), tags)
         self.iter_initialize_s.set(stats.iter_initialize_s.get(), tags)
 
@@ -948,6 +955,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.iter_format_batch_s: Timer = Timer()
         self.iter_collate_batch_s: Timer = Timer()
         self.iter_finalize_batch_s: Timer = Timer()
+        self.iter_time_to_first_batch_s: Timer = Timer()
         self.iter_total_blocked_s: Timer = Timer()
         self.iter_user_s: Timer = Timer()
         self.iter_initialize_s: Timer = Timer()
@@ -1003,6 +1011,7 @@ def to_summary(self) -> "DatasetStatsSummary":
             self.iter_format_batch_s,
             self.iter_collate_batch_s,
             self.iter_finalize_batch_s,
+            self.iter_time_to_first_batch_s,
             self.iter_total_blocked_s,
             self.iter_user_s,
             self.iter_initialize_s,
@@ -1642,6 +1651,8 @@ class IterStatsSummary:
     collate_time: Timer
     # Time spent in finalize_fn, in seconds
     finalize_batch_time: Timer
+    # Time user thread is blocked waiting for first batch
+    time_to_first_batch: Timer
     # Total time user thread is blocked by iter_batches
     block_time: Timer
     # Time spent in user code, in seconds
@@ -1665,6 +1676,7 @@ def to_string(self) -> str:
         out = ""
         if (
             self.block_time.get()
+            or self.time_to_first_batch.get()
             or self.total_time.get()
             or self.get_time.get()
             or self.next_time.get()
@@ -1685,6 +1697,11 @@ def to_string(self) -> str:
                     "    * Total time user thread is blocked by Ray Data iter_batches: "
                     "{}\n".format(fmt(self.block_time.get()))
                 )
+            if self.time_to_first_batch.get():
+                out += (
+                    "    * Total time spent waiting for the first batch after starting iteration: "
+                    "{}\n".format(fmt(self.time_to_first_batch.get()))
+                )
             if self.user_time.get():
                 out += "    * Total execution time for user thread: {}\n".format(
                     fmt(self.user_time.get())
diff --git a/python/ray/data/tests/test_stats.py b/python/ray/data/tests/test_stats.py
index 0a3a32e9d63e..cbe5b5dfa8ba 100644
--- a/python/ray/data/tests/test_stats.py
+++ b/python/ray/data/tests/test_stats.py
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ def test_streaming_split_stats(ray_start_regular_shared, restore_data_context):
 * Total time overall: T
     * Total time in Ray Data iterator initialization code: T
     * Total time user thread is blocked by Ray Data iter_batches: T
+    * Total time spent waiting for the first batch after starting iteration: T
     * Total execution time for user thread: T
 * Batch iteration time breakdown (summed across prefetch threads):
     * In ray.get(): T min, T max, T avg, T total
@@ -577,6 +578,7 @@ def test_dataset_stats_basic(
         f"* Total time overall: T\n"
         f"    * Total time in Ray Data iterator initialization code: T\n"
         f"    * Total time user thread is blocked by Ray Data iter_batches: T\n"
+        f"    * Total time spent waiting for the first batch after starting iteration: T\n"
         f"    * Total execution time for user thread: T\n"
         f"* Batch iteration time breakdown (summed across prefetch threads):\n"
         f"    * In ray.get(): T min, T max, T avg, T total\n"
@@ -618,6 +620,7 @@ def test_block_location_nums(ray_start_regular_shared, restore_data_context):
         f"* Total time overall: T\n"
         f"    * Total time in Ray Data iterator initialization code: T\n"
         f"    * Total time user thread is blocked by Ray Data iter_batches: T\n"
+        f"    * Total time spent waiting for the first batch after starting iteration: T\n"
         f"    * Total execution time for user thread: T\n"
         f"* Batch iteration time breakdown (summed across prefetch threads):\n"
         f"    * In ray.get(): T min, T max, T avg, T total\n"
@@ -1363,6 +1366,7 @@ def test_streaming_stats_full(ray_start_regular_shared, restore_data_context):
 * Total time overall: T
     * Total time in Ray Data iterator initialization code: T
     * Total time user thread is blocked by Ray Data iter_batches: T
+    * Total time spent waiting for the first batch after starting iteration: T
     * Total execution time for user thread: T
 * Batch iteration time breakdown (summed across prefetch threads):
     * In ray.get(): T min, T max, T avg, T total