The Memorial Day weekend was capped off by an MLB no-hitter — a combined one, in which three Astros pitchers toed the slab. It was the first MLB no-hitter since September of 2024, but I just can't get excited about a combined no-no.
Was it really even the best outing of the day by a starting pitcher? Astros starter Tatsuya Imai worked six scoreless innings, walked four batters and struck out only two. Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, meanwhile, gave up two hits in seven innings and struck out 12 against the Cardinals while throwing 57 pitches that were at least 100 miles per hour. Gimme that outing.
The Problem with Combined No-Hitters
I've been self-aware enough to realize that I've been a scrooge about no-hitters over the years. We've now seen 327 in MLB history. Given the number of MLB games played, that's still a very rare feat. I get it. Especially for those fans in person, it's a thrill to see something historic like that.
Once the starter exits the game, though, the historical aspect just melts away. Relievers are fresh. The hitters haven't yet seen their stuff in this game, giving them a bit of an advantage. One of the main reasons a starter completing a no-hitter is so cool is because it's so difficult.
In this day and age, where the league batting average is .239, is it really that difficult for a reliever to get three outs without allowing a hit? No. The answer is no. The feat is a starting pitcher getting to 27 outs. Once he's out of the game, we need to stop awarding it a historical crown.
A Starting Point for Change
Remember in 2020 — sorry for bringing that year up — when doubleheaders were only seven innings? The office of the commissioner officially noted that a seven-inning no-hitter didn't count as an official no-hitter. Keep in mind that on Monday night, Imai only completed six innings in his start.
Just as an example, Madison Bumgarner allowed zero hits through seven innings in a complete game in 2020. That doesn't count as a no-hitter, but Imai now has a "no-hitter" on his ledger.
I'm not suggesting the seven-inning no-hitters from 2020 need to count, but this is a good place to start: get all 22 of the combined no-hitters in MLB thrown out of the record books.
A no-hitter should be a starting pitcher completing the job without allowing a hit. Full stop. Once the starter is removed from the game, we're done monitoring whether or not the team allows a hit.