fix: SortMergeJoin don't wait for all input before emitting

datafusion/physical-plan/src/joins/sort_merge_join/stream.rs

@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ pub(super) enum SortMergeJoinState {
     Polling,
     /// Joining polled data and making output
     JoinOutput,
+    /// Emit ready data if have any and then go back to [`Self::Init`] state
+    EmitReadyThenInit,
     /// No more output
     Exhausted,
 }
@@ -598,13 +600,45 @@ impl Stream for SortMergeJoinStream {
                     self.current_ordering = self.compare_streamed_buffered()?;
                     self.state = SortMergeJoinState::JoinOutput;
                 }
+                SortMergeJoinState::EmitReadyThenInit => {
+                    // If have data to emit, emit it and if no more, change to next
+
+                    // Verify metadata alignment before checking if we have batches to output
+                    self.joined_record_batches
+                        .filter_metadata
+                        .debug_assert_metadata_aligned();
+
+                    // For filtered joins, skip output and let Init state handle it
+                    if needs_deferred_filtering(&self.filter, self.join_type) {
+                        self.state = SortMergeJoinState::Init;
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
+                    // For non-filtered joins, only output if we have a completed batch
+                    // (opportunistic output when target batch size is reached)
+                    if self
+                        .joined_record_batches
+                        .joined_batches
+                        .has_completed_batch()
+                    {
+                        let record_batch = self
+                            .joined_record_batches
+                            .joined_batches
+                            .next_completed_batch()
+                            .expect("has_completed_batch was true");
+                        (&record_batch)
+                            .record_output(&self.join_metrics.baseline_metrics());
+                        return Poll::Ready(Some(Ok(record_batch)));
+                    }
+                    self.state = SortMergeJoinState::Init;
+                }
                 SortMergeJoinState::JoinOutput => {
                     self.join_partial()?;
 
                     if self.num_unfrozen_pairs() < self.batch_size {
                         if self.buffered_data.scanning_finished() {
                             self.buffered_data.scanning_reset();
-                            self.state = SortMergeJoinState::Init;
+                            self.state = SortMergeJoinState::EmitReadyThenInit;
                         }
                     } else {
                         self.freeze_all()?;