No Hitter’s the Magical Stat.
No hitter’s in major league baseball were once considered an unreachable feat! There has been 307 pitchers to throw them in Major league history since 1876 averaging 2 per year in the stat cast era. A No hitter is when the pitcher from the opposing team records all 27 outs in a 9 inning game without allowing any hits to the opposition.
Nolan Ryan holds the record for the most no hit bids in Major league history with 7 no hit games. Unbeatable every facet of the game Nolan Ryan himself could manage 7 No hitters in his lustrous 27 year career. That brings us to the year 2021 over 1 month into the year, and we have already had 3 no hitters to date. A San Diego kid, Joe Musgrove gives the San Diego Padres there first no hitter in franchise history. Five days after that Carlos Rodon of the Chicago White Sox gets his first no hit game. Yes that is the same Carlos Rodon that got let go by the White Sox for his poor play the off-season before. May 5, 2021, we already have our 3rd no hit bid of the season. John Means of the Baltimore Orioles no hits the Seattle Mariners, for the Orioles first no hitter in nearly 30 years. Why do we think there has been all these no hitters in the year of Covid-19 protocols and uncertainty?
Baseball is a sport where analytics are starting to take center stage. Strike out rates are starting to climb and infield shifts are taking away hits from almost every player. In today’s game managers are even employing a 4 man outfield in hopes of getting the players to fly out to the outfield. This is because the player has a higher fly ball rate then ground ball percentage. Thus, allowing fewer hits and fewer balls put in play. Do you think, the decline in balls put in play is the leading role in these early season spike in no hitters? Have you ever thought about those small market teams that have to draft well to keep up with their big money counter parts or are forced to rebuild year after year. Players and coaches are now given the best analytical technology to scout player pregame, in game and post game than ever before.
Major league baseball is a game of teamwork, unity and incredibly skilled athletes that put on a show for fans on an every night basis. Don’t let the no hit stat fool you. These men among boys, are true professionals for a reason, and they deserve all the credit for all the milestones they set and all the record-breaking milestones still to come. We can talk about no hit bids, perfect games, rookie of the year awards but the athletes these ball players are the reason we all enjoy the game. In the words of a true legend I quote’’Every strike brings me closer to the next home run’’. ‘’ Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game’’-Babe Ruth
