Welcome to Snyder's Soapbox! Each week, I'll share my thoughts on various Major League Baseball topics—some pressing, some seemingly insignificant, and most falling somewhere in between.
Memorial Day weekend was packed with exciting sports events, capped off by an MLB no-hitter. While that's cool, it was a combined no-hitter featuring three Astros pitchers. It was the first MLB no-hitter since September 2024, but I simply cannot get excited about a combined no-no.
The Best Outing of the Day?
Was this really the best pitching performance that day? Astros starter Tatsuya Imai worked six scoreless innings but walked four batters and recorded only two strikeouts.
In comparison, Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski gave up two hits in seven innings while striking out 12 against the Cardinals. He threw 57 pitches at least 100 miles per hour. That's the outing that impresses me.
The Problem with Combined No-Hitters
Over the years, I've been somewhat of a scrooge about no-hitters. We've now seen 327 in MLB history. Given the sheer number of MLB games played, that's still a rare feat—especially for fans witnessing something historic in person.
I've actually attended a combined no-hitter in the World Series.Honestly, it wasn't one of my favorite moments. It was cool, I guess.
However, once the starter exits the game, the historical aspect melts away for me. Relievers are fresh, and hitters haven't yet seen their stuff in that game, giving them a disadvantage.
One of the main reasons a starter's no-hitter is so impressive is its difficulty. In this era where the league batting average is .239, is it really that difficult for a reliever to get three outs without allowing a hit?
The answer is no. A no-hitter should be a starting pitcher completing 27 outs. Once he's out of the game, we should stop awarding it a historical crown.
Precedent from 2020
Recall 2020—when doubleheaders were only seven innings? The commissioner's office officially ruled that a seven-inning no-hitter did not count as an official no-hitter.
Imai only completed six innings in his start. 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 apparently, Imai now has a "no-hitter" on his record.
The Solution
I'm not suggesting seven-inning no-hitters from 2020 need to count, but this is a good starting point to get all 22 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 should stop tracking whether the team allows a hit.