What Is A No Hitter Baseball?

A no-hitter in baseball is a game in which one team doesn’t allow the other team to hit a single base hit. It’s an incredibly rare feat, and it’s considered one of the most prestigious achievements in baseball.

Definition of a No Hitter

A no-hitter is a game in which a pitcher or pitchers do not allow the opposing team to hit any batters. This is considered an extraordinary feat in baseball, as batters get hits in about 30% of their plate appearances. No-hitters are rarer than perfect games, as there can be a batter or two who reaches base on walks or errors while the no-hitter is still intact.

History of the No Hitter

A no hitter is a game in which a pitcher or pitchers complete a game without giving up a hit. No hitters are rare in baseball, occurring about once every three years. The first recorded no hitter was thrown by George Bradley of the St. Louis Browns on July 15, 1876.

First No Hitter

The first ever no hitter baseball game was pitched by George Bradley on July 15th, 1876. The game was between the Chicago White Stockings and the Hartford Dark Blues. George Bradley went on to pitch 3 more no hitters in his career.

Most Recent No Hitter

On September 25, 2019, Houston Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole threw a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners, striking out 15 batters and allowing just one baserunner on a walk. It was the third no-hitter in Astros history, and Cole became just the second pitcher in franchise history to throw multiple no-hitters (joining Mike Scott, who accomplished the feat in 1986).

On June 1, 2019, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Taylor Cole and Felix Pena combined to no-hit the Seattle Mariners. It was the 13th no-hitter in Angels history and the first combined no-hitter in MLB history.

On May 7, 2018, San Francisco Giants pitcher Dereck Rodriguez pitched a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was the first time in franchise history that a Giants rookie threw a no-hitter.

On April 21, 2017, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jake Arrieta pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. It was Arrieta’s second career no-hitter (he also threw one while with the Chicago Cubs in 2015) and helped him become just the fifth pitcher in MLB history to throw multiple no-hitters with two different teams.

Rules of a No Hitter

In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a pitcher does not allow the other team to hit a single hit. A no-hitter is rare and considered an extraordinary feat. Let’s take a look at the rules of a no-hitter.

Pitching

Pitching a no-hitter is one of the hardest things to do in baseball. A lot of things have to go right for a pitcher to have a chance at a no-hitter. The pitcher has to be good, of course, but the defense behind him also has to be very good. And, the other team has to be bad. As you can imagine, it’s not easy to pitch a no-hitter.

Here are some of the important rules for pitching a no-hitter:

1) The pitcher cannot give up any hits. Obviously, this is the most important rule. If the opposing team gets even one hit, the no-hitter is over.

2) The pitcher cannot walk any batters. This is almost as important as rule number one. If the pitcher walks even one batter, he usually won’t be able to keep pitching a no-hitter.

3) The pitcher cannot hit any batters with pitches. This is not as important as the first two rules, but it’s still crucial. If the pitcher hits even one batter, he usually won’t be able to keep pitching a no-hitter.

4) The defense behind the pitcher cannot make any errors. This is another important rule. If the defense makes even one error, it’s often enough to cost the pitcher his shot at a no-hitter.

Fielding

A pitcher cannot intentionally walk a batter. The pitcher also cannot “intentionally” throw a wild pitch to allow the runner to advance. In other words, the pitcher can’t just throw the ball far over the catcher’s head in hopes that he will advance. If this happens, it’s up to the umpire’s discretion on whether or not to call it an illegal pitch. The same goes for a balk.

Notable No Hitters

A no hitter is a baseball game in which a pitcher does not allow the other team to hit a single player. In a no hitter, a pitcher may walk batters, and the team may still win the game. The most recent no hitter was thrown by Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros on September 1, 2019.

Perfect Game

In baseball, a perfect game is when a pitcher throws a complete game where no opposing player reaches first base. It is the highest individual achievement a pitcher can have, and it has only happened 23 times in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. A perfect game is also sometimes called a “no-hitter,” although strictly speaking, a no-hitter is any game where no opposing player gets a hit.

The first perfect game in MLB history was thrown by James “Jim” Creighton of the Brooklyn Excelsiors in 1862. The most recent one was thrown by Félix Hernández of the Seattle Mariners in 2012. There have been three perfect games thrown in postseason play: Don Larsen’s perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Dave Stewart’s perfect game in Game 1 of the 1990 American League Championship Series, and Roy Halladay’s perfect game in Game 1 of the 2010 National League Division Series.

Imperfect Game

An imperfect game in baseball occurs when a team hits during the course of the game, but no player on the opposing team gets a hit. There have been 11 total imperfect games in Major League Baseball history. The first one occurred on July 8, 1875, when Curt Welch of the Brooklyn Atlantics pitched an imperfect game against the Cincinnati Reds. The most recent one occurred on June 9, 2010, when Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers pitched an imperfect game against the Cleveland Indians.

The term “imperfect game” is sometimes used interchangeably with “no-hitter.” However, there is a distinction between the two: a no-hitter occurs when a pitcher throws nine innings without giving up a hit, while an imperfect game can be achieved in fewer than nine innings. For example, if a pitcher takes the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning with a no-hitter intact and gives up a hit, it would no longer be considered a no-hitter, but it would still be considered an imperfect game.