Image: Wiki Commons by Keith Allison
About This Quiz
It's the sixth inning, and the opposing team still hasn't gotten a hit off the starting pitcher. Whether a batter was struck out or the defense made a play to keep them from reaching base, their offense just isn't having any success. That's when it starts to set in: This could be a no-hitter in the works. Of course, no one in the stadium will talk about it. That's bad luck, after all. But the pitcher is on the verge of making history, and everyone in the stadium knows it.
No-hitters in the majors are not impossible, but are rare. In over 100 years of baseball, it has only occurred 303 times, and only a fraction of those occurrences have happened in the last 20 years. Sometimes it's a legend on the mound, showing off all the best stuff they have to offer. At other times, it's an average player putting on a performance that they'll only have once in a lifetime. Either way, it's a treat to watch any pitcher go for a no-hitter, as every pitch matters more and more as the game progresses.Â
Are you prepared to identify these pitchers who threw a no-hitter since 2000? The pressure will only grow as you get further and further into the quiz. But if you think you can answer the challenge, get started and prove your baseball knowledge.
Hideo Nomo
Hideo Nomo was an explosive pitching talent from the moment he entered the majors, leading the league in strikeouts during his debut season. That year, he made the All-Star Game and was named the NL Rookie of the Year.
Derek Lowe
Mark Buehrle
Ubaldo Jimenez
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Jon Lester
Justin Verlander
A.J. Burnett
Pitching for the Florida Marlins, A.J. Burnett threw a no-hitter on May 12, 2001, against the San Diego Padres. To complete the no-hitter, Burnett had to walk nine batters, but his team still walked away with a 3-0 win.
Derek Lowe
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Kevin Millwood
Bud Smith
Bud Smith made his MLB debut on June 10, 2001, and less than three months later, he completed a no-hitter with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, his arm began to decline during his second season, and he played his last game on July 19, 2002.
Clay Buchholz
Edwin Jackson
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Roy Oswalt
Dallas Braden
Matt Garza
Derek Lowe
Derek Lowe had a lengthy MLB career that lasted from 1997 through 2013, but most of his success came during the early part of his career. By 2006, he had made two All-Star Games, won a World Series, was the NL wins leader and pitched a no-hitter.
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Pete Munro
Roy Halladay
Philip Humber
Kevin Millwood
Kevin Millwood had only recently joined the Philadelphia Phillies when he pitched a no-hitter on April 27, 2003. His no-hitter was one of only two at Veterans Stadium, where the Phillies played from 1971 through 2003.
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Justin Verlander
Randy Johnson
Known as "The Big Unit," Randy Johnson had an arm that rivaled anyone in MLB history. He finished his career second in all-time strikeouts with 4,785 while also putting up 303 total wins.
Roy Halladay
Clayton Kershaw
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Carlos Zambrano
Dallas Braden
Anibal Sanchez
Despite making his MLB debut in 2006, Anibal Sanchez was still playing at a high level in 2019. That season, he won the World Series with the Washington Nationals, and in that championship run, he almost pitched a no-hitter in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series.
Edwin Jackson
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Mark Buehrle
In his first no-hitter on April 18, 2007, Mark Buehrle gave up only a single walk, which was awarded to Sammy Sosa. However, Sosa was then quickly thrown out while trying to lean off first base.
Clay Buchholz
Jonathan Sanchez
Matt Garza
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Roy Halladay
Justin Verlander
Longevity has been a major key to Justin Verlander's success, as he's pitched three no-hitters, with his first coming in 2007 and his most recent in 2019. He squeezed a third no-hitter in on May 7, 2011, making Verlander one of only a few pitchers with three no-hitters on their resume.
Francisco Liriano
Matt Cain
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Ubaldo Jimenez
Matt Garza
Clay Buchholz
Clay Buchholz threw his no-hitter in only his second start in the majors, which came on Sept. 1, 2007. When he completed the game, he was one of only three pitchers to throw a no-hitter in one of their first two starts.
Jered Weaver
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Jon Lester
Jon Lester has played on three championship teams in his MLB career. His first two titles were won with the Boston Red Sox in 2007 and 2013. His most recent title was won with the Chicago Cubs in 2016.
Dallas Braden
Homer Bailey
Josh Beckett
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Francisco Liriano
Ervin Santana
Johan Santana
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Zambrano was on a tear from 2003 through 2008, winning at least 13 games in each of those seasons. When he pitched a no-hitter on Sept. 14, 2008, it marked the 14th win of the 2008 season for Zambrano.
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Matt Garza
Philip Humber
Jonathan Sanchez
After beginning the 2009 season as a starter, Jonathan Sanchez was eventually moved to the bullpen, but an injury to Randy Johnson helped Sanchez get his starting job back on July 10, 2009. In his first game back, Sanchez threw the only no-hitter of his career.
Felix Hernandez
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Jered Weaver
Ubaldo Jimenez
Ubaldo Jimenez was the first pitcher in the history of the Colorado Rockies to throw a no-hitter when he accomplished the feat on April 17, 2010. To complete the no-hitter, Jimenez had to throw a career-high 128 pitches.
Tim Lincecum
Chris Heston
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Edwin Jackson
Johan Santana
Brandon League
Dallas Braden
A year after Dallas Braden threw a no-hitter, he suffered a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder, which forced him to miss much of the 2011 and 2012 seasons. He later had to have surgery on his rotator cuff and never played an MLB game after that.
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Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay completed two no-hitters in the same season, one in the 2010 regular season and one in the playoffs. That makes him the only player to complete a no-hitter in both the regular season and playoffs.
Tim Lincecum
Clayton Kershaw
Cole Hamels
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Ervin Santana
Jered Weaver
Edwin Jackson
Edwin Jackson completed his no-hitter on June 25, 2010, against his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays. In an odd turn of events, he was traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Chicago White Sox in the same season he completed a no-hitter.
Lucas Luetge
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Matt Garza
2010 was a hot year for no-hitters, as Matt Garza was the fifth pitcher to throw a no-hitter on the season. Garza completed his no-hitter on July 26, 2010, against the Detroit Tigers, winning the game 5-0.
Homer Bailey
Felix Hernandez
Henderson Alvarez
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Felix Hernandez
Cole Hamels
Jordan Zimmermann
Francisco Liriano
In 2010, Francisco Liriano had finally returned to form after having Tommy John surgery a few years prior. After posting a 14-10 record on the 2010 season, Liriano was named the MLB Comeback Player of the Year.
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Jered Weaver
Ervin Santana
Throughout his career, Ervin Santana struggled against the Cleveland Indians, having never won a game against them before 2011. That all changed on July 27, 2011 when Santana threw the only no-hitter of his career against the Indians to take home his first win against the franchise.
Hisashi Iwakuma
Jake Arrieta
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Matt Cain
Josh Beckett
Ken Giles
Philip Humber
Despite making his MLB debut in 2006, Philip Humber did not become a regular starter until 2011. However, earning that position set him up for a perfect game in 2012, which he pitched against the Seattle Mariners.
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Jered Weaver
2012 wasn't the only season that Jered Weaver led the American League in wins, as he did it again in 2014. However, unlike in 2012, Weaver would not return to the All-Star Game in 2014.
Charlie Furbush
Tim Lincecum
Cole Hamels
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Homer Bailey
Johan Santana
Prior to 2012, Johan Santana had a resume stacked with accomplishments. He had already won two AL Cy Young Awards, a Triple Crown and a Gold Glove Award. Still, he added to those accomplishments on June 1, 2012 by pitching the first no-hitter of his career.
Stephen Pryor
Jake Diekman
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Henderson Alvarez
Ken Giles
Matt Cain
Matt Cain's no-hitter in 2012 was also the 22nd perfect game in MLB history. In the game, Cain sent 27 batters packing, which included 14 strikeouts. His 14 strikeouts is tied for the most in a perfect game.
Jordan Zimmermann
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Josh Beckett
Homer Bailey
Homer Bailey has two no-hitters on his career, which occurred a season apart on Sept. 28, 2012 and July 2, 2013. No other pitcher completed a no-hitter in the time between that span.
Chris Heston
Mike Fiers
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Tim Lincecum
Despite a relatively short career, Tim Lincecum's resume is filled with accolades that rival Hall of Famers from previous eras. He was a four-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion, two-time NL Cy Young Award winner and pitched two no-hitters.
Clayton Kershaw
Max Scherzer
Edinson Volquez
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Jonathan Papelbon
Mike Fiers
Henderson Alvarez
Following the 2012 season, Henderson Alvarez was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Miami Marlins, but he missed the start of the 2013 season with shoulder issues. However, he eventually recovered and threw a no-hitter to end the season with a win over the Detroit Tigers.
Sean Manaea
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Chris Heston
Cole Hamels
Walker Buehler
Josh Beckett
Beginning his career in 2001, Josh Beckett was a three-time All-Star and World Series MVP. He continued to play well into his later years when he was on the mound, but injuries forced him to retire in 2014, only a few months after pitching a no-hitter.
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Clayton Kershaw
Despite a career filled with success, Clayton Kershaw is still chasing that elusive World Series title. He has appeared in two World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he wasn't able to walk away with a championship in either of those appearances.
Chris Heston
Jake Arrieta
Tony Cingrani
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Max Scherzer
Jordan Zimmermann
In the last game of the 2014 season, Jordan Zimmermann pitched a no-hitter against the Miami Marlins, where he faced off against Henderson Alvarez, who had thrown a no-hitter on the last game of the previous season. This marked the first time in MLB history that the last game of back-to-back seasons resulted in a no-hitter.
Yimi Garcia
Taylor Cole
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Jake Arrieta
Sean Manaea
Chris Heston
Even though he has yet to retire, Chris Heston hasn't played a major league game since 2017. Heston has a 13-13 record as a starter, but his best game was the no-hitter he threw on June 9, 2015 while playing for the San Francisco Giants.
James Paxton
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Sean Manaea
Tony Cingrani
Will Harris
Max Scherzer
Aside from his no-hitter, Max Scherzer has also pitched two immaculate innings, one in 2017 and the other in 2018. A pitcher completes an immaculate inning when they strike out three batters with only nine pitches in one inning.
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Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels first pitched six innings of a combined no-hitter in 2014 with three pitchers coming in to relieve Hamels in the final three innings of the game. However, the next season he pitched all nine innings to add a complete no-hitter to his resume.
Mike Fiers
Edinson Volquez
Felix Pena
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Shohei Ohtani
Yu Darvish
Koji Uehara
Hisashi Iwakuma
Hisashi Iwakuma was only the second Japanese pitcher to throw a no-hitter, which he accomplished on Aug. 12, 2015. His no-hitter gave the Seattle Mariners a 3-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
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Tony Cingrani
Tom Wilhelmsen
Mike Fiers
After throwing a no-hitter in 2015, Mike Fiers followed up that performance with another no-hitter in 2019. At the time of his second no-hitter, Fiers set a mark at the age of 33 by pitching the 300th no-hitter in MLB history.
Charlie Furbush
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Yimi Garcia
Jake Arrieta
The Chicago Cubs put on a dominant performance to pair with Jake Arrieta's no-hitter on April 21, 2016. Facing off against the Cincinnati Reds, the Cubs exploded on offense, winning the game 16-0.
Adam Liberatore
James Paxton
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Sean Manaea
Felix Pena
Edinson Volquez
Edinson Volquez struggled to start the 2017 season, losing his first seven games as a starter. However, he was on his game on June 3, 2017 when he threw the only no-hitter of his career against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Aaron Sanchez
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Walker Buehler
Sean Manaea
Debuting in 2016, Sean Manaea was still establishing himself in the majors when he pitched a no-hitter on April 21, 2018. That season, he finished with a 12-9 record after starting 27 games.
Taylor Cole
Will Harris
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James Paxton
James Paxton made Canadians proud by not only being the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Canada but also being a Canadian himself. He actually earned the nickname "The Big Maple" because of his Canadian roots.
Aaron Sanchez
Joe Biagini
Chris Devenski
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Aaron Sanchez
Ken Giles
Lucas Luetge
Felix Pena
Taylor Cole and Felix Pena are the only pair of pitchers to throw a combined no-hitter in the last 20 years. Cole pitched the first two innings of the game and Pena pitched the last seven innings to win the game 13-0.
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