Inbaseball, ano-hitter orno-hit game is a game in which a team does not record ahit through conventional methods.Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine complete innings recorded no hits. Apitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is thereby said to have "thrown a no-hitter". In most cases, no-hitters are recorded by a single pitcher who throws acomplete game; one thrown by two or more pitchers is a combined no-hitter.
A no-hitter is a rare accomplishment for a pitcher or pitching staff—only 326 have been thrown in MLB history since 1876, an average of about two per year. The most recent major league no-hitter, a combined no-hitter, was thrown by starterShota Imanaga andrelief pitchersNate Pearson andPorter Hodge of theChicago Cubs against thePittsburgh Pirates on September 4, 2024, while the most recent no-hitter by a single pitcher was thrown byBlake Snell of theSan Francisco Giants against theCincinnati Reds on August 2, 2024.
The MLB season with the most no-hit games was the2021 season, in which nine official no-hitters were pitched.[1] Additionally, two other games that year were pitched without giving up a hit, but were not official no-hitters because they were less than nine innings.
It is possible for a batter to reach base without a hit, most commonly by awalk, anerror, orbeing hit by a pitch; other possibilities include the batter reaching first after anuncaught third strike orcatcher's interference. (Yet another possibility is afielder's choice, but this requires that there already be a runner on base.) A no-hitter in which no batters reach base at all is aperfect game, a much rarer feat. Because a batter can reach base by means other than a hit, a pitcher can throw a no-hitter (though not a perfect game) and still give up runs or even lose the game, although this is extremely uncommon as most no-hitters are alsoshutouts. One or more runs were given up in 25 recorded no-hitters in MLB history, most recently byErvin Santana of theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a 3–1 win against theCleveland Indians on July 27, 2011. On two occasions, a team has thrown a nine-inning no-hitter and still lost the game. It is theoretically possible for opposing pitchers to throw no-hitters in the same game, although this has never happened in the major leagues. Two pitchers,Fred Toney andHippo Vaughn, completed nine innings of a game on May 2, 1917, without either giving up a hit or a run; Vaughn gave up two hits and a run in the 10th inning, losing the game to Toney, who completed the extra-inning no-hitter.
A no-hitter is defined by MLB: "An official no-hit game occurs when a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no hits during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings."[2] This 1991 definition by MLB's Committee for Statistical Accuracy caused previously recognized no-hitters of fewer than nine innings or where the first hit had been allowed in extra innings to be struck from the official record books. Games lost by the visiting team in8+1⁄2 innings but without allowing any hits do not qualify as no-hitters, as the visiting team has only pitched eight innings.[3][4]
MLB has recognized 326 no-hitters thrown since 1876, 24 of which wereperfect games. Two no-hitters have been thrown on the same day twice:Ted Breitenstein andJim Hughes on April 22, 1898; andDave Stewart andFernando Valenzuela on June 29, 1990.
Nine no-hitters were thrown in the2021 season.[a] The previous record was eight, set in1884. The previous modern era record (since 1901) was seven, accomplished in1990,1991,2012, and2015.
The longest period between two no-hitters in the modern era was three years and 44 days, betweenBobby Burke on August 8, 1931, andPaul "Daffy" Dean on September 21, 1934. There was a drought of three years and 11 months without a no-hitter between the firstNational League no-hitter on July 15, 1876 pitched byGeorge Bradley and the first National League perfect game on June 12, 1880, pitched byLee Richmond. The most recent year without any no-hitters was 2025.
The greatest span of games without a no-hitter in the major leagues is 6,364, betweenRandy Johnson's perfect game on May 18, 2004, for theArizona Diamondbacks, andAníbal Sánchez's no-hitter on September 6, 2006, for theFlorida Marlins. The previous record was a 4,015-game streak without a no-hitter betweenMike Witt's perfect game on September 30, 1984 for theCalifornia Angels andMike Scott's no-hitter on September 25, 1986 for theHouston Astros.
The pitcher who holds the record for the most no-hitters isNolan Ryan, who threw seven in his 27-year career. His first two came exactly two months apart with theCalifornia Angels: the first on May 15, 1973, and the second on July 15. He had two more with the Angels on September 28, 1974, and June 1, 1975. Ryan's fifth no-hitter came with the Houston Astros on September 26, 1981, breakingSandy Koufax's previous record. His sixth and seventh came with theTexas Rangers on June 1, 1990, and May 1, 1991. When he tossed number seven at age 44, he became the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter.
Only Ryan, Koufax (four),Cy Young (three),Bob Feller (three),Larry Corcoran (three), andJustin Verlander (three) have pitched more than two no-hitters.[6] Corcoran was the first pitcher to throw a second no-hitter in a career (in 1882), as well as the first to throw a third (in 1884).
Thirty-six pitchers have thrown more than one no-hitter, combined no-hitters not counting. Ryan has the longest gap between no-hitters: he threw his first as a member of theLos Angeles Angels on May 15, 1973, and his last as a Texas Ranger on May 1, 1991.
The pitcher who holds the record for the shortest time between no-hitters isJohnny Vander Meer, the only pitcher in history to throw no-hitters in consecutive starts, while playing for theCincinnati Reds in 1938.[7] Besides Vander Meer,Allie Reynolds (in 1951),Virgil Trucks (in 1952), Ryan (in 1973), andMax Scherzer (in 2015) were the only major leaguers to throw two no-hitters during the same regular season.
Jim Maloney also had two no-hitters under the old rules in the1965 season, both of them taking extra innings. In the first one on June 14, he gave up a home run toJohnny Lewis to open the top of the 11th inning, turning 10 innings of no-hit ball into a 1–0 loss to the New York Mets. According to the rules at the time, this was considered a no-hitter.[8] On August 19, a home run byLeo Cárdenas in the tenth inning allowed Maloney to earn a 1–0 10-inning no-hit win over the Chicago Cubs.[9]
Roy Halladay threw two no-hitters in 2010 – aperfect game during the regular season and a no-hitter in the2010 National League Division Series. He is the only major leaguer to have thrown no-hitters in both regular season and postseason play.
Two pitchers missing their non-pitching hand have thrown no-hitters;Hugh Daily, of theCleveland Blues, defeated thePhiladelphia Quakers 1–0 on September 13, 1883, andJim Abbott, of theNew York Yankees, defeated theCleveland Indians 4–0 on September 4, 1993. Daily lost his left hand in a gun accident as a child, and Abbott was born without a right hand.
The record for most no-hitters caught by a catcher is four, a record shared byBoston Red Sox catcherJason Varitek andPhiladelphia Phillies catcherCarlos Ruiz. Varitek caught no-hitters forHideo Nomo,Derek Lowe,Clay Buchholz, andJon Lester.[10] Varitek also caught a rain-shortened, five-inning unofficial no-hitter forDevern Hansack on October 1, 2006.[11] Ruiz caught two no-hitters for Roy Halladay, including a perfect game, as well as one forCole Hamels, and a combined no-hitter forCole Hamels,Jake Diekman,Ken Giles, andJonathan Papelbon.[12] Before MLB redefined "no-hitter",Ray Schalk had long held the record by catching four no-hitters, but his first nine-inning no-hitter had ended with a hit in the tenth inning.[11][13]Victor Caratini is the only player to catch consecutive no-hitters with two different teams, and the tenth to catch consecutive no-hitters at all. The first came on September 13, 2020, with theChicago Cubs, and the second on April 9, 2021, with theSan Diego Padres.[14]
The record for the most modern-day no-hitters participated in belongs toJose Altuve of the Houston Astros, who has played in no-hitters thrown by Mike Fiers, Justin Verlander,Framber Valdez, and Ronel Blanco, along with three combined no-hitters andMatt Cain's perfect game.
Five pitchers have thrown a no-hitter in both theAmerican League and theNational League: Young, Ryan,Jim Bunning, Nomo, andRandy Johnson. Only five catchers have caught a no-hitter in each league:Gus Triandos,Jeff Torborg,Darrell Porter,Ron Hassey, and most recently,Drew Butera.[15] Triandos caughtHoyt Wilhelm's 1958 no-hitter andJim Bunning's perfect game, Torborg caughtKoufax's perfect game and Ryan's first no-hitter, Porter caughtJim Colborn's 1977 no-hitter andBob Forsch's second no-hitter in 1983, and Hassey caughtLen Barker's andDennis Martínez's perfect games. Butera caught a 2011 no-hitter byFrancisco Liriano and a 2014 no-hitter byJosh Beckett.[15]
No team has thrown no-hitters in consecutive games, although it has happened once on consecutivedays: On May 5, 1917,Ernie Koob of theSt. Louis Browns no-hit theChicago White Sox, and teammateBob Groom repeated the feat in the second game of adoubleheader the following day.
On two occasions, there have been back-to-back no-hitters thrown by each team in a series. On September 17, 1968,Gaylord Perry of theSan Francisco Giants no-hit theSt. Louis Cardinals, and the Cardinals'Ray Washburn no-hit the Giants the following day. On April 30, 1969,Jim Maloney of theCincinnati Reds no-hit theHouston Astros, and the Astros'Don Wilson no-hit the Reds the following day. Surprisingly, it was both Maloney's and Wilson's second no-hitter in their careers.
Teams have thrown two straight no-hitters, with no other teams pitching one in the interim, 20 times; most recently by the Houston Astros (a combined no-hitter using four pitchers during Game 4 of the2022 World Series and a combined no-hitter using 3 pitchers during the 2022 regular season). The only team to throw three straight no-hitters was theMilwaukee Braves, withLew Burdette, followed by consecutive no-no's byWarren Spahn, in 1960 and 1961. Individual pitchers have thrown two straight no-hitters seven times:Addie Joss 1908 and 1910; Vander Meer in 1938;Allie Reynolds in 1951;Warren Spahn in 1960 and 1961; Ryan twice, first in 1973, then in 1974 and 1975; andHomer Bailey in 2012 and 2013. All seven instances were with the same team.
TheCleveland Guardians are the only team to be no-hit three times in a single season, doing so in2021. They were no-hit byCarlos Rodón of the Chicago White Sox on April 14, 2021. They then failed to record a hit against theCincinnati Reds'Wade Miley on May 7, 2021. Finally, they were held hitless byCorbin Burnes andJosh Hader of theMilwaukee Brewers on September 11, 2021. Remarkably,Zach Plesac was the Guardians' pitcher for all three no-hitters. In addition to these official no-hitters, the Guardians also failed to record a hit against theTampa Bay Rays[16] in the second game of a doubleheader on July 7, 2021. This is not considered an official no-hitter because the game only lasted seven innings.[17]
The vast majority of no-hit games are finished by the starting pitcher, but 21 MLB no-hitters have been thrown by a combination of the starting and relief pitchers. The first such combined no-hitter occurred on June 23, 1917, whenErnie Shore of theBoston Red Sox relieved starterBabe Ruth, who had been ejected for arguing with the umpire after walking the first batter of the game. The runner was subsequently caught stealing and Shore retired the next 26 batters without allowing any baserunners. This game was long considered aperfect game for Shore, since he recorded 27 outs in succession; current rules classify it only as a combined no-hitter. Another major league combined no-hitter did not occur until April 30, 1967, whenStu Miller of theBaltimore Orioles recorded the final out in relief ofSteve Barber in a 2–1 loss to theDetroit Tigers.
The only combinedextra inning no-hitter to date occurred on July 12, 1997.Pittsburgh Pirates pitchersFrancisco Córdova (9 innings) andRicardo Rincón (1 inning) combined to no-hit theHouston Astros, 3–0. Victory was secured with a three-runwalk-off home run bypinch hitterMark Smith in the bottom of the tenth inning.
On June 11, 2003, the Houston Astros set a record with six pitchers involved in a combined no-hitter. On that day,Roy Oswalt,Pete Munro,Kirk Saarloos,Brad Lidge,Octavio Dotel, andBilly Wagner combined to hold theNew York Yankees hitless. Oswalt was removed after one inning due to injury. Munro pitched the most innings,2+2⁄3. He also allowed five of the six baserunners, giving up three walks, hitting a batter and seeing another reach on an error by third basemanGeoff Blum. The only other baserunner was allowed by Dotel, who threw a third-strike wild pitch to Alfonso Soriano with one out in the eighth; Dotel went on to record the forty-fifth four-strikeout inning in regular-season play.[18] Lidge, who retired all six hitters he faced over the sixth and seventh innings, earned the victory. On June 8, 2012, theSeattle Mariners tied this record whenKevin Millwood,Charlie Furbush,Stephen Pryor,Lucas Luetge,Brandon League, andTom Wilhelmsen combined to no-hit theLos Angeles Dodgers. Millwood pitched 6 innings before he was taken out due to a groin injury.
Only one pitcher has thrown a no-hitter as a starter and contributed to a combined no-hitter as a reliever. On September 30, 1984,Mike Witt threw a 1–0perfect game for theCalifornia Angels against theTexas Rangers. On April 11, 1990, pitching the eighth and ninth innings in relief ofMark Langston, Witt earned asave in another 1–0 no-hit victory for the Los Angeles Angels over the Seattle Mariners.
Vida Blue,Kent Mercker, Kevin Millwood, and Cole Hamels are the only pitchers to start both a complete game no-hitter and a combined no-hitter. Vida Blue no-hit theMinnesota Twins on September 21, 1970, while pitching for theOakland Athletics. He combined withGlenn Abbott,Paul Lindblad, andRollie Fingers to no-hit the California Angels on September 28, 1975. While with theAtlanta Braves in 1991, Mercker,Mark Wohlers andAlejandro Peña no-hit theSan Diego Padres in the National League's first combined no-hitter. Mercker threw a complete game no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 8, 1994. In addition to the game above in which Millwood and the Seattle Mariners tied the record by using six pitchers in a no-hitter, Millwood previously threw a complete game no-hitter against theSan Francisco Giants on April 27, 2003, while with thePhiladelphia Phillies. Both Mercker and Blue were All-Stars in the seasons of their combined no-hitters, and Blue also won the Cy Young Award and the Most Valuable Player Award during his career.
In 2022,Cristian Javier started in two combined no-hitters that were both successfully closed out byRyan Pressly. They became the only pitchers to participate in multiple combined no-hitters.[19]
Combined no-hitters are not recognized byNippon Professional Baseball andKBO League.
TheCleveland Indians'Bob Feller left theChicago White Sox hitless in the 1940 season opener on April 16, the first officialOpening Day no-hitter. With the 2020 recognition of certain Negro Leagues as major leagues,Leon Day's no-hitter on May 5, 1946, to open the season for theNewark Eagles against thePhiladelphia Stars, should also be recognized.
The Houston Astros'Mike Scott no-hit theSan Francisco Giants on September 25, 1986, a victory that also clinched theNational League West title for the Astros; this is the only such concurrence in Major League history to date. In the first game of adoubleheader on September 28, 1951,Allie Reynolds of theNew York Yankees pitched a no-hitter against theBoston Red Sox which clinched a tie for the American League pennant; the pennant was clinched outright in the doubleheader's second game.
There have been threepostseason no-hitters in MLB history: two solo and one combined. On October 8, 1956,Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw aperfect game in Game 5 ofthat year's World Series against theBrooklyn Dodgers. Nine years earlier, the Yankees'Bill Bevens had come within one out of a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 4 of the1947 World Series, only to lose the game on a pinch-hit double byCookie Lavagetto. (There have been other one-hitters in the World Series, with the lone hit coming earlier in the game than in Bevens' effort.)[citation needed] On October 6, 2010,Roy Halladay of thePhiladelphia Phillies, in the first postseason appearance of his career, threw the second no-hitter in postseason history, in Game 1 of the Phillies'NLDS against theCincinnati Reds.[20] On November 2, 2022,Cristian Javier,Bryan Abreu,Rafael Montero, andRyan Pressly of theHouston Astros combined to no-hit the Phillies in Game 4 ofthat year's World Series.[21]
Twenty-five MLB rookies have pitched a no-hitter since 1901. Four pitchers have thrown a no-hitter in their first major league start; two others have done it in their second major league starts.[22]
Bumpus Jones of the Cincinnati Reds threw a no-hitter on October 15, 1892, in his first major league game. Jones pitched only eight games in the big leagues, finishing with a career win–loss record of 2–4 and a careerearned run average of 7.99.
Ted Breitenstein pitched a no-hitter in his first major league start on October 4, 1891; however, it was not his first major league game.[23] He later threw a second no-hitter on April 22, 1898.
Charlie Robertson of theChicago White Sox pitched aperfect game against theDetroit Tigers on April 30, 1922, in his fourth career start and fifth career appearance.
On May 6, 1953,Bobo Holloman pitched a no-hitter for theSt. Louis Browns in his first major league start (although not his first major league game, as he had previously pitched in relief). This game would prove to be one of only three major league wins that Holloman achieved, against seven losses, all in 1953.Bill Veeck, then-owner of the Browns, in his autobiography described the 27 outs of Holloman's no-hitter as consisting of hard-hit ground balls, screaming line drives, and deep fly balls.
On August 11, 1991,Wilson Álvarez of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter in his second career major league start. During Alvarez's first career start, he had allowed three runs on a pair of home runs and did not retire a single batter. Unlike Jones and Holloman, Alvarez went on to win 102 games over a 16-year career.
Clay Buchholz pitched a no-hitter for theBoston Red Sox in his second major league start on September 1, 2007, at Fenway Park. The game ended in a 10–0 victory for the Red Sox over theBaltimore Orioles.
On August 14, 2021,Tyler Gilbert of theArizona Diamondbacks pitched a no-hitter against theSan Diego Padres in his first major league start and fourth appearance. His first major league game came just 11 days before his no-hitter.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are nine300-game winners—Grover Cleveland Alexander,Kid Nichols,Lefty Grove,Early Wynn,Steve Carlton,Don Sutton,Greg Maddux,Roger Clemens andTom Glavine—who failed to pitch a no-hitter.
Batters in regular no-hitters can reach base in several ways, such as a walk, error, or hit by pitch, making it possible for the team pitching the no-hitter to lose. On April 23, 1964,Ken Johnson of theHouston Colt .45s became the only pitcher to lose acomplete game no-hitter in nine innings when he was beaten, 1–0, by theCincinnati Reds. The winning run was scored byPete Rose in the top of the ninth inning via an error, groundout, and another error.[24]
On April 30, 1967,Steve Barber andStu Miller of theBaltimore Orioles pitched a combined no-hitter, but lost 2–1 to theDetroit Tigers.[25]
On July 1, 1990,Andy Hawkins of theNew York Yankees pitched an eight-inning no-hitter (the Yankees were the away team) against theChicago White Sox and lost the game 4–0 after an eighth inning which saw three errors.[26] The four runs that the White Sox scored are the most by any team in a game in which they had no hits.[27] Because Hawkins only threw eight innings, this game is not recognized as an official no-hitter by Major League Baseball; however, it was considered a no-hitter at the time it was pitched. In the year after the game, the rules regarding no-hitters, (and rules regarding other statistics), were changed and applied retroactively in order to "clean up the record book". The Hawkins "no-hitter" failed on one main provision of the new standards. To be classified a valid no-hitter, the pitcher or pitching staff must hold the opposing team hitless for the entire gameand face opposing batters in at least nine full innings, meaning the only way a team can pitch a losing no-hitter on the road is if the game goes to extra innings and the home team manages to win the game on a walk-off without the benefit of a hit.
On April 12, 1992,Matt Young of theBoston Red Sox faced theCleveland Indians in the first game of a doubleheader. Young allowed no hits but gave up two runs on seven walks and an error by shortstopLuis Rivera, en route to the second unofficial no-hitter by a losing pitcher on the road.
Jered Weaver andJosé Arredondo of theLos Angeles Angels also combined for eight innings of no-hit baseball in a 1–0 road loss to theLos Angeles Dodgers on June 28, 2008, afterMatt Kemp reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on another error, and scored on asacrifice fly. However, since the Angels only pitched eight innings, this game is once again not recognized as an official no-hitter.
On May 15, 2022, Cincinnati Reds pitchersHunter Greene andArt Warren also combined to pitch an eight inning no-hit loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The only run of the game was scored when Pirates shortstopRodolfo Castro scored on a groundout. The game is again not recognized as an official no-hitter, due to only 8 innings of no-hit play.[28]
A game shortened by previous agreement or that cannot continue due to weather or darkness may be considered a completed official game, as long as at least five innings have been completed. Until 1991, any such game in which a pitcher held the opposing team without hits was considered an official no-hitter; under the current rule, however, a no-hitter must last for at least nine innings. There have beenthirty-seven such shortened no-hitters. As the rule was applied retroactively, there are thirty-five games in which a no-hitter was shortened by previous agreement, weather, or darkness, with lengths ranging from 5 to 8 innings, that are no longer considered no-hitters.
There have been four shortened no-hitters that were ended early as part of a previous agreement for travel purposes.[29]
In 2020 and 2021, MLB used seven-inning doubleheaders, and on April 25, 2021,Madison Bumgarner threw the fifth shortened no-hitter in baseball history that was not shortened by weather or darkness. On July 7, 2021,Collin McHugh,Josh Fleming,Diego Castillo,Matt Wisler, andPete Fairbanks of theTampa Bay Rays threw a combined seven-inning no-hitter. No-hitters recorded in seven-inning doubleheaders do not count as official no-hitters unless the game lasts at least nine innings and the no-hitter is preserved through the end of the game.
If the home team leads after the top of the ninth, they do not bat in the bottom of the ninth, thus the visiting team only pitches eight innings. Since it is possible to score runs without getting hits, a visiting team can complete a full game without allowing a hit but not be credited with an official no-hitter. This has happened five times in MLB history.Silver King (1890),Andy Hawkins (1990), andMatt Young (1992) pitchedcomplete games without allowing a hit, but pitched only eight innings as the losing pitcher from the visiting team, and thus are not credited with a no-hitter.[30][31] In 2008,Jered Weaver andJosé Arredondo combined to throw eight no hit innings, and in 2022,Hunter Greene andArt Warren also combined to throw eight no-hit innings, while losing the game 1–0.[32]
A game that is a no-hitter through nine innings may be broken up inextra innings. Under current rules, such a game (whether won or lost) is not considered an official no-hitter because the pitching staff did not keep the opposing team hitless for the entire course of the game.
On May 2, 1917, a game between theChicago Cubs andCincinnati Reds reached the end of nine innings in a hitless scoreless tie,[33] the only time in baseball history thatneither team has had a hit in regulation. BothHippo Vaughn of the Cubs andFred Toney of the Reds continued pitching into the tenth inning. Vaughn lost his no-hitter in the top of the tenth, as the Reds got two hits and scored the winning run. Toney retired the side in the bottom of the tenth and recorded a ten-inning no-hitter. This game was long considered a "double no-hitter", but Vaughn is no longer credited with a no-hitter under the current rules.
Of thesixteen potential no-hitters that have been lost in extra innings, two wereperfect games until the inning when the first hit was surrendered. On May 26, 1959,Harvey Haddix of thePittsburgh Pirates pitched a remarkable twelve perfect innings against theMilwaukee Braves before losing the perfect game on an error and then the no-hitter and the game in the thirteenth inning. On June 3, 1995,Pedro Martínez of theMontreal Expos pitched nine perfect innings against theSan Diego Padres before giving up a hit in the tenth and exiting the game, which the Expos then won, 1–0.[34]
On August 23, 2017, in a game between theLos Angeles Dodgers and thePittsburgh Pirates, Dodgers pitcherRich Hill pitched nine no-hit innings, only to lose his no-hit bid (and the game) on a walk-off homer byJosh Harrison in the 10th inning.[35] This was another potential perfect game; the perfect game was broken up by a ninth-inning error, the first time that had happened in MLB history.[36]
On April 23, 2022, theTampa Bay Rays threw a combined no-hitter against the Red Sox that was broken up in the tenth inning.J. P. Feyereisen,Javy Guerra,Jeffrey Springs,Jason Adam,Ryan Thompson, andAndrew Kittredge threw nine hitless frames beforeMatt Wisler surrendered a triple to Boston'sBobby Dalbec, which scored the extra-innings runner on second base. The Rays would go on to walk-off the game in the bottom of the inning with aKevin Kiermaier home run; Wisler was credited with the win.[37]
On September 10, 2023, theMilwaukee Brewers threw 10 combined no-hit innings against theNew York Yankees, before the no-hitter was broken up in the bottom of the 11th, with the Yankees later winning the game.Corbin Burnes pitched 8 of those no-hit innings, followed byDevin Williams andAbner Uribe in two consecutive no-hit innings, beforeOswaldo Cabrera hit a run-scoring double off ofJoel Payamps in the bottom of the 11th. The Yankees ultimately won on aKyle Higashioka double in the bottom of the 13th off ofHoby Milner, who is credited with the loss.[38]
All 30 active teams inMajor League Baseball have pitched a no-hitter. The last active MLB team to throw its first no-hitter was theSan Diego Padres, when pitcherJoe Musgrove struck out ten batters and held theTexas Rangers hitless atGlobe Life Field on April 9, 2021, 52 years after the team's debut in 1969.[39] The closest attempt by a single pitcher prior to 2021 was against thePhiladelphia Phillies on July 18, 1972:Steve Arlin came within one out of a no-hitter beforeDenny Doyle broke up his bid with a single.[40] On July 9, 2011, five Padres pitchers combined for8+2⁄3 innings of no-hit pitching against theLos Angeles Dodgers beforeJuan Uribe hit a double, which was followed by aDioner Navarro single that allowed the Dodgers to score to win the game, 1–0.
The Cleveland Guardians have the longest active no-hitter drought; the last such game thrown by the team wasLen Barker's perfect game on May 15, 1981.
TheNew York Mets, who began play in 1962, went without a no-hitter untilJohan Santana pitched one on the night of June 1, 2012, against theSt. Louis Cardinals at home atCiti Field. The 8–0 victory closed out their era as the oldest franchise without a no-hitter and ended a drought that lasted 8,019 regular-season and 74 post-season games. As of the start of the 2021 season, Mets pitchers have thrown 39 one-hitters.[41]
The longest no-hitter drought in MLB history was suffered by the Philadelphia Phillies between May 1, 1906, and June 21, 1964, a span of 8,945 games.
TheWashington Nationals achieved their first no-hitter on September 28, 2014.[42] The franchise has four previous no-hitters in its history as theMontreal Expos, including aperfect game by Dennis Martínez.
Six current NL teams—the Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, Cubs and Reds—all pitched their first no-hitters before the advent of the American League in 1901. Among the early National League teams still playing, the last to record its first no-hitter were the St. Louis Cardinals, whenJesse Haines pitched one on July 17, 1924. Of the original American League teams, the last team to record its first no-hitter were theNew York Yankees, whenGeorge Mogridge pitched one on April 24, 1917. There are a number of short-lived Major League franchises from the nineteenth century that folded without ever recording a no-hitter.
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| Date of no-hitter | Pitcher(s) | Franchise | Time since no-hitter |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 14, 2021 | Tyler Gilbert | Arizona Diamondbacks | 4 years, 102 days |
| May 7, 2019 | Mike Fiers | Athletics | 6 years, 201 days |
| April 8, 1994 | Kent Mercker | Atlanta Braves | 31 years, 230 days |
| May 5, 2021 | John Means | Baltimore Orioles | 4 years, 203 days |
| May 19, 2008 | Jon Lester | Boston Red Sox | 17 years, 189 days |
| September 4, 2024 | Shota Imanaga (7 IP) Nate Pearson (1 IP) Porter Hodge (1 IP) | Chicago Cubs | 1 year, 81 days |
| April 14, 2021 | Carlos Rodón | Chicago White Sox | 4 years, 224 days |
| May 7, 2021 | Wade Miley | Cincinnati Reds | 4 years, 201 days |
| May 15, 1981 | Len Barker | Cleveland Guardians | 44 years, 193 days |
| April 17, 2010 | Ubaldo Jiménez | Colorado Rockies | 15 years, 221 days |
| July 8, 2023 | Matt Manning (6.2 IP) Jason Foley (1.1 IP) Alex Lange (1 IP) | Detroit Tigers | 2 years, 139 days |
| April 1, 2024 | Ronel Blanco | Houston Astros | 1 year, 237 days |
| August 26, 1991 | Bret Saberhagen | Kansas City Royals | 34 years, 90 days |
| May 10, 2022 | Reid Detmers | Los Angeles Angels | 3 years, 198 days |
| May 4, 2018 | Walker Buehler (6 IP) Tony Cingrani (1 IP) Yimi Garcia (1 IP) Adam Liberatore (1 IP) | Los Angeles Dodgers | 7 years, 204 days |
| June 3, 2017 | Edinson Vólquez | Miami Marlins | 8 years, 174 days |
| September 11, 2021 | Corbin Burnes (8 IP) Josh Hader (1 IP) | Milwaukee Brewers | 4 years, 74 days |
| May 3, 2011 | Francisco Liriano | Minnesota Twins | 14 years, 205 days |
| April 29, 2022 | Tylor Megill (5 IP) Drew Smith (1.1 IP) Joely Rodríguez (1 IP) Seth Lugo (0.2 IP) Edwin Díaz (1 IP) | New York Mets | 3 years, 209 days |
| June 28, 2023 | Domingo Germán | New York Yankees | 2 years, 149 days |
| August 9, 2023 | Michael Lorenzen | Philadelphia Phillies | 2 years, 107 days |
| July 12, 1997 | Francisco Córdova (9 IP) Ricardo Rincón (1 IP) | Pittsburgh Pirates | 28 years, 135 days |
| July 25, 2024 | Dylan Cease | San Diego Padres | 1 year, 122 days |
| August 2, 2024 | Blake Snell | San Francisco Giants | 1 year, 114 days |
| May 8, 2018 | James Paxton | Seattle Mariners | 7 years, 200 days |
| September 3, 2001 | Bud Smith | St. Louis Cardinals | 24 years, 82 days |
| July 26, 2010 | Matt Garza | Tampa Bay Rays | 15 years, 121 days |
| July 28, 1994 | Kenny Rogers | Texas Rangers | 31 years, 119 days |
| September 2, 1990 | Dave Stieb | Toronto Blue Jays | 35 years, 83 days |
| October 3, 2015 | Max Scherzer | Washington Nationals | 10 years, 52 days |
All modern-era MLB teams have experienced at least two no-hitters pitched against them. The record for the longest period of time without being no-hit is held by theChicago Cubs, who succeeded in getting at least one hit in every game followingSandy Koufax's perfect game against them on September 9, 1965, until they were no-hit by Cole Hamels of thePhiladelphia Phillies on July 25, 2015, a period of 49 years, 318 days (7951 games, including 31 postseason games). Koufax's perfect game, together with Bob Hendley's one-hitter, is the only major league game in which the two teams combined for only one hit.
The second-longest streak without having an official no-hitter pitched against them is held by theNew York Yankees, who had a gap of 44 years, 263 days between nine-inning no-hitters from September 21, 1958, to June 10, 2003. However, during this time, the Yankees failed to collect a hit in a rain-shortened official game on July 12, 1990,[43] after 31 years, 294 days.
Including games of less than nine innings, theSt. Louis Cardinals have the second-longest streak between games when they did not collect a hit: May 12, 1919, to May 14, 1960, a period of 41 years, 3 days. Among AL teams, theKansas City Royals hold the longest such streak: May 15, 1973 to May 19, 2008, a period of 35 years, 4 days.
The longest current streak is held by theLos Angeles Angels,[44] last held hitless on September 11, 1999 (26 years, 74 days) ago by Minnesota Twins pitcherEric Milton.[45]
Forbes Field, home of thePittsburgh Pirates from the middle of the1909 season until the middle of the1970 season, is the only long-term major league ballpark in which no no-hitter was thrown during its existence. No-hitters have not yet been thrown in three recently built fields:Busch Stadium,Truist Park, andTarget Field. Four current parks that have in existence for a decade or more have seen only one no-hitter each:Coors Field, the hitter-friendly home of theColorado Rockies (Hideo Nomo on September 17, 1996); the Orioles' current home,Oriole Park at Camden Yards, known for being hitter-friendly (Nomo on April 4, 2001);PNC Park, the current home of the Pirates, which like Forbes Field is known for being hitter-friendly (Homer Bailey on September 28, 2012); andPetco Park, home of theSan Diego Padres, which initially was known as a pitcher's park but was modified with shorter fences in 2013 (Tim Lincecum on July 13, 2013).
American Family Field, home of theMilwaukee Brewers, has hosted two no-hitters, but only one involved its home team. Both no-hitters were thrown by theChicago Cubs—Alec Mills threw a no-hitter on September 13, 2020, against the Brewers;[46] andCarlos Zambrano pitched one on September 14, 2008, against the "home"Houston Astros in a game displaced byHurricane Ike.[47]
TheAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) existed from 1943 to 1954.[48][49] 56 no-hitters are known to have occurred in the league.[50]
Olive Little threw the first no-hitter in team and league history, for theRockford Peaches on June 10, 1943.[51]
Four of the league's players pitched aperfect game (note that all perfect games are no-hitters, but not all no-hitters are perfect games):Annabelle Lee in 1944,Carolyn Morris in 1945,Doris Sams in 1947, andJean Faut in 1951 (against the Rockford Peaches) and again in 1953 (against the Kalamazoo Lassies).[48][49] Faut is the only professional baseball player, male or female, to have pitched two perfect games.[52]
There have been 101 no-hitters inNippon Professional Baseball history. As noted above, unlike Major League Baseball, the Japanese league does not count combined or not shutout no-hitters. The record for most No-Hitters thrown by an individual in NPB history is three, byEiji Sawamura. On November 1, 2007, a combined perfect game (No-hitter) was thrown by theChunichi Dragons during Game 5 of the2007 Japan Series. Starting pitcherDaisuke Yamai pitched eight perfect innings and received the win, withHitoki Iwase receiving thesave; the Dragons' victory also resulted in them winning the Japan Series. Although NPB does not recognize this as a perfect game due to it not being acomplete game, it is recognized as a perfect game by theWorld Baseball Softball Confederation. This makes it the only perfect game thrown during the Japan Series, and the only combined perfect game in history to span a regulation nine innings.[53]
There have been 14 no-hitters inKBO League history. As noted above, unlike Major League Baseball, the KBO League does not count combined or not shutout no-hitters.
Ongoing research by baseball historians has revealed the existence of 34 no-hitters thrown inNegro league baseball; the research has had to clarify differences between play from teams andbarnstorming, and one of the no-hitters occurred at a Benefit All-Star Game. In 2020,Major League Baseball announced the addition of the seven "Negro Major Leagues" that played from 1920 to 1948 to the major leagues, recognizing statistics from over 3,400 players who played in those seasons, thus increasing further the need for research and verification of no-hitters.[54]
This presumes that 22 to 24 no-hitters from that said era (22 regular season, one postseason, one All-Star game) could be recognized by official record books such as Elias in future years. There are also six games that were prematurely cut from the intended length of nine innings that were called due to weather that ranged from 1926 to 1945, one of which includesLuther Farrell and his seven-inning no-hitter in Game 5 of the1927 Colored World Series.[55][56]
Four pitchers threw two no-hitters:Phil Cockrell,Jesse Winters,Satchel Paige, andPorter Moss;Dick Redding, nicknamed "Cannonball", was reported to have thrown as many as 30 no-hitters in his career, but the disparity in finding enough box scores to verify such claim still proves too great for researchers (incidentally, Paige had estimated he threw 55 no-hitters in a long career of league games and barnstorming). At any rate, his no-hitter for the Lincoln Giants against the Cuban Stars is generally considered the first no-hitter documented between two African American teams considered to have played at the highest level.Leon Day threw a no-hitter on May 5, 1946, to open the season for theNewark Eagles against thePhiladelphia Stars, which is believed to be the second no-hitter thrown by a pitcher on Opening Day.
Eleven were done in the 1910s, while fourteen were verified to have been done in the 1920s, six in the 1930s, and three in the 1940s. Likely the most famous no-hitter thrown by a player in the Negro leagues wasRed Grier, who pitched a no-hitter in Game 3 of the1926 Colored World Series on October 3, 1926, doing so for theBacharach Giants against theChicago American Giants.[57] It was the first no-hitter thrown in a major league postseason game, and no one would throw another in the playoffs untilDon Larsen 30 years later.
In the2006 World Baseball Classic,Shairon Martis pitched a shortened no-hitter for theNetherlands againstPanama. The game was ended after seven innings due to themercy rule.[58] In the2023 World Baseball Classic, fourPuerto Rico pitchers (José De León (5.2 innings),Yacksel Ríos (0.1 inning),Edwin Díaz (1 inning), andDuane Underwood Jr. (1 inning)) combined for a shortened perfect game againstIsrael. The game was ended after eight innings due to themercy rule.[59]
On May 29, 1876,Joseph McElroy Mann, known as the first consistent collegecurveball pitcher, is credited byJohn Thorn, official baseball historian forMajor League Baseball, as having thrown nine innings without allowing a single hit, leadingPrinceton to 3–0 victory overYale atHamilton Park inNew Haven, Connecticut. This is believed to be the first recorded no-hitter in organized baseball.[60]
Three no-hitters have been thrown in theCollege World Series, the most recent being thrown on June 16, 2025 byArkansas pitcher Gage Wood in a 3-0 win againstMurray State in an elimination game.[61]
Two no-hitters have been thrown in theCaribbean Series. The first, in1952, was thrown byTommy Fine of theLeones del Habana (Cuba), againstCerveceria Caracas (Venezuela). The second would not be thrown until2024, byÁngel Padrón ofTiburones de La Guaira (Venezuela) in a 9-0 victory overGigantes de Rivas (Nicaragua).
Considered to be one of the greatest amateur pitchers in Ontario in the 1950s and 1960s, southpaw Jack Roberts pitched two consecutive no-hitters for theCampbellville Merchants – a team with a .771 winning percentage – in anOntario Baseball Association Intermediate C round-robin final in 1966.[62][63]
In 1974 Bunny Taylor became the first girl to pitch a no-hitter inLittle League Baseball.[64][65]
A very unusual seven-inning no hitter was thrown by theLos Angeles Angels' Class AA minor league affiliate of the Southern League, theRocket City Trash Pandas, based in Madison, Alabama. On April 8, 2023, in a scheduled seven-inning game, Rocket City was leading the Reds' AA affiliate, theChattanooga Lookouts, 3–0, after six innings and needed three outs to complete the no-hitter.[66] With the aide of five walks, four batters hit by pitches, a wild pitch, and a crucial three-run error by the Trash Pandas' center fielder on a fly ball that would have won the game for Rocket City had it been caught, Chattanooga scored seven runs without a hit, eventually winning the game 7–5.[67][68] Only six major league teams have had no-hitters in a loss. Surrendering seven runs without a hit, all in the opponent's final at-bat, is unprecedented.
Unlike MLB and the WBSC (global sanctioning body of baseball) definitions, a no-hitter is called a "no hit, no run" game in Eastern Asian professional leagues. The requirements are different from the traditional definition; the game is a shutout victory where the starting pitcher pitches the entire game while allowing no hits, and no runs are scored (a no-hitter by the traditional definition runs may score by walk, hit by pitch, defensive interference, errors, stolen bases, and balks). In those leagues, a no-hitter is not regarded as an official record unless the starting pitcher pitches the whole game and the opposing team scores zero runs, and the team either wins or the game ends in a tie, which happens when the innings limit is reached. There is a twelve-inning limit in these leagues.
One of the most commonbaseball superstitions is that it is bad luck to mention a no-hitter in progress, especially to the pitcher and in particular by their teammates (who sometimes even go so far as to avoid even goingnear the pitcher).[69] Somesportscasters observe thistaboo while others have no reservations about mentioning no-hitters before completion. WhenSandy Koufax pitched his no-hitter against theMets in 1962, one of their 120 losses that season, Mets' coachSolly Hemus, apparently trying to jinx Koufax, kept heckling him through the game about pitching a no-hitter, according to a post-game interview Koufax gave after pitching his third no-hitter in 1964. An early biography of Koufax quoted him as telling his catcher, during that 1964 no-hitter, "Let's just go to the fastball and get this no-hit thing over with."[citation needed]Mickey Mantle, in an interview forKen Burns' 1994Baseball documentary series, related thatDon Larsen, famed for his1956 World Series perfect game, tried to talk about his no-hitter throughout the contest but much to his chagrin his Yankee teammates avoided his conversation and maintained the superstition.
When Los Angeles Angels rookieBo Belinsky entered the final inning of his no-hitter in 1962, Baltimore Orioles outfielderJackie Brandt passed him on the field as the teams changed sides. According to Belinsky biographerMaury Allen, Brandt told Belinsky, "Nice game, Bo, but it's over. I'm leading off with a bunt single."[citation needed] Belinsky got Brandt out to start the final inning of his no-hitter.
In 2009, whenMark Buehrle was pitchinghis perfect game, as he exited the field after the eighth inning, White Sox broadcasterKen Harrelson exclaimed, "Call your sons! Call your daughters! Call your friends! Call your neighbors! Mark Buehrle has a perfect game going into the ninth!"[70] Buehrle retired the side in the ninth to complete the perfect game.
WhenJim Bunning was pitchinghis perfect game in 1964, he deliberately violated this superstition, talking to his teammates about the perfect game's progress in order to dispel the tension in the dugout.[71]
