• Has Every MLB Team Been No Hit?

Has Every MLB Team Been No Hit?

Last update: 2023-11-08

In the modern era of Major League Baseball (since 1901), every current franchise has been on the wrong side of a no-hitter at least twice. The Philadelphia Phillies hold the record for being no-hit the most times, with an incredible 23 no-hitters thrown against them by opposing pitchers. Every team has fallen victim multiple times, a testament to the difficulty of stringing together hits against MLB pitching.

Some franchises had long dry spells without being no-hit, but the record now stands at every team having been kept hitless at least twice. The no-hitters span generations of baseball, with Cy Young and Nolan Ryan each contributing memorable gems that live on in baseball lore. Let's examine some key facts and figures on the no-hitters achieved against each MLB franchise.

Teams No-Hit the Most Times

The Phillies have been no-hit a record 23 times, a reflection of the franchise's lengthy history which dates back to 1883. They've been held hitless by a who's who of pitching, from Cy Young and Christy Mathewson early last century to Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels in the 21st century. Their first no-no came in 1888 when Pud Galvin of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys kept them hitless.

James Francis "Pud" Galvin, Pitcher, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 Issued by Goodwin & Company The "Old Judge" series of baseball cards (N172) was issued by Goodwin & Company from 1887 to 1890 to promote Old Judge Cigarettes.

Right behind the Phillies are the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been no-hit 20 times, spanning from 1900 when Brickyard Kennedy of the New York Giants did it to 2022 when the Dodgers were kept hitless by the Cubs' Alec Mills. The San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves are next with 17 no-hitters tossed against each club.

Longest No-Hitter Droughts

The Colorado Rockies, who entered MLB via expansion in 1993, hold the record for the longest no-hitter drought to begin a franchise's history at 25 seasons. Not until German Marquez of the Arizona Diamondbacks finally no-hit them on April 25, 2018 did the Rockies suffer their first franchise no-no.

The New York Mets went more than 50 years before finally being no-hit for the first time. After coming into existence in 1962, they did not get no-hit until June 1, 2012 when Johan Santana no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals. That left the Mets with an MLB record drought between being formed and being no-hit for the first time.

Among active MLB teams, the Los Angeles Angels currently own the longest active no-hitter drought at 22 years and counting. The last time they were no-hit was September 11, 1999 by Eric Milton of the Minnesota Twins.

Notable No-Hitters

Many of baseball's legendary hurlers are represented in the list of no-hit masterpieces spun against prominent franchises. Here are some of the most famous no-hitters in MLB history:

Denton True "Cy" Young (1867 – 1955) American Major League Baseball pitcher

  • Cy Young's Perfect Game: On May 5, 1904, future Hall of Famer Cy Young tossed a perfect game against the Philadelphia A's for the Boston Americans (now the Red Sox). It was the first perfect game in modern MLB history.
  • Don Larsen's World Series Perfect Game: On October 8, 1956, Don Larsen of the New York Yankees pitched a perfect game in Game 5 of the World Series versus the Brooklyn Dodgers. It remains the only perfect game thrown in postseason/World Series play.
  • Nolan Ryan's 7 No-Hitters: Ryan set the MLB record by throwing seven no-hitters in his career, from 1973 to 1991. His victims included the Royals, Twins, and Blue Jays.
  • Roy Halladay's Postseason No-Hitter: On October 6, 2010, Halladay no-hit the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the NLDS. It was just the second postseason no-hitter ever.
  • 6 Pirates No-Hit by Max Scherzer: On June 27, 2015, Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals no-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was one of two no-hitters Scherzer has thrown against Pittsburgh.
  • Four Dodgers No-Hit by Kevin Millwood: On April 27, 2003, Kevin Millwood no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers while pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies. Millwood faced just 28 batters, one over the minimum.

Recent No-Hitters

There has been a spike in no-hitters achieved over the past few MLB seasons. Here are some of the more memorable recent no-nos:

oronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lifts a ball to the outfield during a spring training game at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., Monday, March 27, 2023.

  • Justin Verlander vs. Blue Jays in 2019: Verlander no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays on September 1, 2019 in just his second start back from injury. He struck out 14 Jays along the way.
  • Sean Manaea vs. Red Sox in 2021: Manaea delivered a no-hitter against the powerhouse Red Sox lineup on April 21, 2021. He needed just 108 pitches to record the feat.
  • Carlos Rodon vs. Guardians in 2022: In just his second start of 2022, Rodon tossed a no-hitter against Cleveland on April 14. He lost his perfect game in the 9th inning.
  • Spencer Turnbull vs. Mariners in 2021: Turnbull no-hit Seattle on May 18, 2021 in a 5-0 Detroit win. He struck out nine Mariners in the game.
  • Lucas Giolito vs. Pirates in 2020: On August 25, 2020, Giolito no-hit Pittsburgh for the White Sox. He only allowed one baserunner via walk in the complete game shutout.

Conclusion

While being no-hit is a nightmare for hitters and fans alike, it is now officially a misfortune that every MLB franchise has experienced. The long history of Major League Baseball is filled with legendary pitching performances in which a dominant hurler manages to keep an opposing lineup hitless for nine innings. Every team has been stymied completely at least twice.

Phillies and Dodgers fans have had to endure the most no-hit heartbreak. Newer clubs like the Rockies and Astros went decades before joining the club. Moving forward, it's likely that every MLB team will continue having the displeasure of being no-hit periodically. Such is the difficulty of consistently delivering hits against MLB caliber pitching.


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