San Francisco Giants star pitcher Blake Snell achieved the first no-hitter of his Major League Baseball career against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.
Snell, who signed a two-year contract with the Giants somewhat late and had a rough start to the season, has managed to turn things around after two stints on the injured list. He has proven that being better in the second half of the season is not a myth but a reality in his career.
The left-hander completed nine innings without allowing a hit, giving up just three walks, and striking out 11 batters. Notably, 78 of his 114 pitches were strikes.
Blake Snell and the Series of Records Achieved with His No-Hitter
The two-time Cy Young Award winner joined Randy Johnson and Max Scherzer as the only pitchers in Major League history with more than 25 strikeouts, two or fewer hits, and no runs allowed over a span of two starts. Additionally, Snell joins Logan Webb as the only pitchers to throw a shutout and a no-hitter on consecutive days since Liván Hernández and Jason Schmidt did so on August 19 and 20, 2002.
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Snell has joined a select group of current Cy Young winners who have pitched a no-hitter, including:
- 2016: Jake Arrieta
- 2014: Clayton Kershaw
- 1971: Bob Gibson
- 1964: Sandy Koufax
Furthermore, Snell’s 26 strikeouts in his last two starts tie Madison Bumgarner in 2015 and Jason Schmidt in 2006 for the second most strikeouts in two starts in Giants history, only behind:
- 1975: Juan Montefusco with 27 strikeouts
It is worth noting that before achieving this no-hitter, Snell recorded 14 strikeouts in just six innings against the Colorado Rockies. Since returning from the injured list on July 5, the lefty has a 1-0 record with a 0.55 ERA and 41 strikeouts in five appearances since July 9, 2024.
At 32 years old, Snell has a contract option that allows him to become a free agent at the end of this season, potentially leaving $38 million on the table for 2025 if he exercises the option. It remains to be seen what decision the left-hander will make, as his continued strong performance could lead to many possibilities.
