Baseball history in 2021 comes in the form of a big, fat, zero.
That's because, through this point in the MLB season, there have been nine no-hitters thrown, a record for no-hitters in a season.
And while plenty of teams and pitchers are happy to etch their names into history books, Cleveland now has unwanted recognition. The Ohio club set a record by having a third no-hitter thrown against it this season. The latest was a combined effort by the Brewers' Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader on Sept. 11.
Everything you need to know about the "Year of the No-No" and more is right here:
MORE: The most recent no-hitter for all 30 MLB teams
How many no-hitters have been thrown in 2021?
So far in 2021, nine no-hitters have been thrown:
- The Padres' Joe Musgrove kicked off no-no season on April 9 vs. the Rangers.
- White Sox starter Carlos Rodon downed division rival Cleveland on April 14.
- Baltimore hurler John Means no-hit the Mariners on May 5.
- Reds starter Wade Miley scribbled his name in the history books with the season's second no-hitter vs. Cleveland on May 7.
- The Tigers' Spencer Turnbull no-hit Seattle on May 18, the second time the Mariners have been no-hit this season.
- The Yankees' Corey Kluber no-hit Texas the next night, May 19, the second time the Rangers have been no-hit this season.
- After a short respite, Cubs pitchers Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel combined to throw a no-no vs. the Dodgers, tying the modern MLB record.
- Diamondbacks rookie left-hander Tyler Gilbert set the modern mark Aug. 14 when he no-hit the Padres in his first MLB start.
- The Brewers' Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader combined to set the all-time mark as they zipped Cleveland on Sept. 11.
The MLB previous record for no-hitters in a season was eight, which was set in 1884 and matched this year.
To make this year's no-hitters more impressive, Musgrove, Rodon, Kluber and the Burnes-Hader tandem were each one batter away from perfect games. Musgrove and Rodon hit batters (Rodon in the ninth) while Kluber and Burnes walked a batter.
There could be any number of reasons why there have been so many no-hitters this early in the season:
— Changes to the baseball was one of the hottest reasons early on, with pitchers (and MLB) acknowledging that certain changes affected the flight of the ball, leading to fewer home runs and a more level playing field for pitchers.
— Offensive ideologies that continue to value home-run-or-bust approaches at the plate and devalue contact, which, to be fair, are backed up by the stats. Still, batting average across MLB is exceptionally low, and that's not a great sign for offenses moving forward.
— Pitchers were getting nastier and nastier, even if some of the nine no-nos thrown have been pitchers who don't have the best "stuff."
Most no-hitters in a single MLB season
We've seen history during the 2021 season.
The record for no-hitters thrown in a season is now nine, eclipsing the mark first set in 1884.
Most no-hitters against a team in a season
Cleveland set an unwanted record by being no-hit a third time in 2021. The club has been blanked by Carlos Rodon,Wade Miley and the duo of Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader.
There's still time for the Rangers and Mariners to join Cleveland on that list. The AL West clubs have both been no-hit twice.
When was the last perfect game in MLB?
While the aforementioned Musgrove, Rodon, Kluber and Burnes/Hader came close to penning the 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th perfect games in MLB history, respectively, the baseball world will have to wait for the next.
Three of the seven no-hitters in 2012 were perfect games: White Sox right-hander Philip Humber, Giants right-hander Matt Cain and former Mariners great Felix Hernandez each threw perfectos that season.
The nine years between perfect games is the longest wait in MLB history since the gap between Catfish Hunter's in 1968 and Len Barker's in 1981.
