Welcome to the Year of the No-Hitter. Three-and-a-half months into the 2021 season, eight no-hitters have already been thrown, not including multiple unofficial seven-inning no-hitters. The eight no-hitters are a Modern Era record. Four Modern Era seasons (1990, 1991, 2012, 2015) all saw seven no-hitters. The 2021 mark also ties the all-time MLB record from 1884. We've seen so many no-hitters that it may be becoming a problem.
Here are the no-hitters we've seen this season to date. There is still plenty of time remaining to add to this list.
Official no-hitters
Joe Musgrove, a San Diego native, threw the first no-hitter in Padres history. Only a hit batsman stood between him and a perfect game. Musgrove joined the Padres in a three-team trade with the Pirates and Mets in the offseason.
Like Musgrove, the only baserunner Carlos Rodón allowed came on a hit by pitch. Rodón had Tommy John surgery in May 2019 and struggled during his return in 2020, so much so that the White Sox non-tendered him after the season. He rejoined the team on a one-year contract in February. Rodón's no-hitter was Chicago's first since Lucas Giolito last August.
John Means, Baltimore's ace, faced the minimum 27 batters and retired all 27, though one batter reached on a dropped third strike. He's the only pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter in which the only baserunner came on a dropped third strike. Despite robbing Means of a perfect game, we don't think MLB should eliminate the dropped-third-strike rule. This was the O's first no-hitter since 1991 and their first single-pitcher no-hitter since Hall of Famer Jim Palmer in August 1969.
At 34 years and 175 days, Wade Miley is the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Reds history. It was the franchise's first no-hitter since Homer Bailey no-hit the Giants in July 2013. Also, Cleveland became the first team since the 2019 Mariners to be no-hit multiple times in a single season in this game. They were also on the wrong end of Rodón's no-hitter.
With this game, the Mariners became the fourth team in history to be no-hit twice in a 14-day span. They were also no-hit by Means earlier this year. Furthermore, there have been six no-hitters at T-Mobile Park since Opening Day 2012, twice as many as at any other ballpark (there have been three at Citi Field). Spencer Turnbull's no-hitter is the eighth in Tigers history and the first since Justin Verlander in May 2011.
Two no-hitters in 24 hours! Corey Kluber threw New York's first no-hitter since David Cone's perfect game in 1990 and he did it against his former team, the Rangers. The Yankees had baseball's eighth-longest no-hitter drought at the time. Note that only three teams have been no-hit this season: Mariners, Rangers, and Cleveland, twice each No team has ever been no-hit three times in one season.
The Cubs threw the first combined no-hitter in franchise history on June 24. Zach Davies drew the start and threw six innings, then turned it over to relievers Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, and Craig Kimbrel. Chicago's pitchers walked eight batters, the most in a no-hitter since Edwin Jackson's eight-walk no-hitter in 2010.
Gilbert, 27, was making his first career start and just his fourth career appearance in the majors. Nevertheless, he became the fourth pitcher to ever toss a no-no in start No. 1, joining Theodore Breitenstein (1891), Bumpus Jones (1892), and Bob Holloman (1953), according to research conducted by MLB.com's Sarah Langs.
