Greatest Pitchers Who Never Threw a No-Hitter

Many of the greatest hurlers in baseball history don’t have one.

Greatest Pitchers Who Never Threw a No-Hitter

No-hitters may be rare in the big leagues, but they don’t discriminate. Dock Ellis claimed to pitch one while on lysergic acid diethylamide. That’s LSD, kids. Some Bobo name Holloman had one in his first major league start. He was out of the bigs three months later. Heck, Mike Fiers owns not one but two of them, the second of which left him with a career 57-58 record and 4.11 ERA.

That’s the beauty of the no-hitter — it’s unpredictable. The odds are roughly 1,500-to-1 that you’ll witness one, but even the most ordinary Joe can be that good and that lucky on a given day. Crazier yet, many of the best pitchers have tried hundreds and hundreds of times and still don’t have one. In fact, a bunch haven’t come close.

Based on career dominance (measured by hits allowed per inning) and number of opportunities (games started), here are the greatest pitchers in baseball history without an official no-hitter.

Mordecai Brown

Career: 14 seasons (1903-16)

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Terriers, Brooklyn Tip-Tops, Chicago Whales

Careerstatistics: 332 games started, 239-130 record, 7.7 hits per nine innings, 2.06 earned run average

World Series titles: 2 (1907, 1908)

Bottom line: Three-Finger (closer to Four-and-a-half Finger) Brown is famous for perhaps the most gnarly right hand in pro baseball history.

Lesser known is that his career adjusted ERA (139) and hits per innings rate (7.68) are among the best ever.

He pitched five one-hitters in his career, the last as a 38-year-old in the Federal League.

Roger Clemens

Career: 24 seasons (1984-2007)

Teams: Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Houston Astros

Careerstatistics: 707 GS, 354-184, 7.7 H/9, 3.12 ERA

World Series titles: 2 (1999, 2000)

Bottom line: How could a guy this dominant who played for this long and cheated this much not pitch nine hitless innings in one game even by accident?

The Yankees' right-hander came thisclose in Game 4 of the 2000 ALCS against the Seattle Mariners. Al Martin opened the seventh inning with a double off the glove of first baseman Tino Martinez for the only hit.

"I've always felt that I throw too many strikes to throw a no-hitter because I'm going to give a guy a pretty hittable ball, especially in a game like this with something on it," the "Rocket" tried to explain after the 5-0 victory.

Me? I can sum it up in one word — youneverknow.

Steve Carlton

Career: 24 seasons (1965-88)

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins

Careerstatistics: 709 GS, 329-244, 8.1 H/9, 3.22 ERA

World Series titles: 2 (1967, 1980)

Bottom line: "Lefty" crafted a National League record six one-hitters in his Hall of Fame career. Only Bob Feller and Nolan Ryan (a dozen each) had more.

So the question wasn’t whether "Silent Steve" had no-hit stuff. It was whether he would agree to speak afterward. And if so, how many media would bother to show up?

In the 1979 season, the Phillies' ace took no-hitters into the seventh inning twice in a span of 30 days. Jeffrey Leonard (Houston Astros) led off with a single to break up the first, and Elliott Maddox (New York Mets) hit a one-out double to ruin the second.

Steve Carlton went on to complete 8-0 and 1-0 shutouts and keep his thoughts to himself.

Jose DeLeon

Career: 13 seasons (1983-95)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos

Careerstatistics: 274 GS, 186-119, 7.4 H/9, 3.76 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: Only 30 pitchers own a better hits-per-inning rate in major league history, although his crummy won-loss record doesn’t suggest as much. The luckless right-hander pitched two one-hitters of at least nine innings and didn’t win either one.

In 1984, the Pirate was perfect for six innings against the Cincinnati Reds before a walk, an error, a Dave Parker single and another error beat him.

As a Cardinal five years later, he pitched one of the most underrated games ever — 34 batters up, 33 down. Luis Quinones singled in the fourth inning, then was erased on a double play.

Thankfully, the poor guy was lifted for a pinch hitter after the 11th inning before he could take another loss.

Sid Fernandez

Career: 15 seasons (1983-97)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros

Careerstatistics: 300 GS, 114-96, 6.9 H/9, 3.36 ERA

World Series titles: 1 (1986)

Bottom line: Wanna impress your friends? Ask them to name the pitcher with the best hits-per-inning rate among those who never had a no-hitter.

That would be "El Sid," the wide load who authored five two-hitters but never seriously flirted with history.

While the hefty lefty possessed one of the most deceptive fastballs of his time, lack of command and high pitch counts were his kryptonite late in games.

Whitey Ford

Career: 16 seasons (1950, 1953-67)

Team: New York Yankees

Careerstatistics: 438 GS, 236-106, 7.9 H/9, 2.75 ERA

World Series titles: 6 (1950, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962)

Bottom line: "The Chairman of the Board" came close to a no-no in consecutive starts. In the same month (September 1955). In the same ballpark (Yankee Stadium). Against similarly bad teams (Washington Senators, Kansas City Athletics).

And both hits came in the seventh inning (Carlos Paul single, Jim Finigan double in that order).

Wait. There’s more. Between those starts, the lefty pitched 1 1/3 innings for a save against the Senators in the heat of the pennant race. I swear this is not fake news.

Zack Greinke

Career: 16 seasons (2004-present)

Teams: Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros

Careerstatistics: 442 GS, 201-122, 8.4 H/9, 3.39 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: The Astros' right-hander was on the verge of something special early in the 2017 season with the Diamondbacks, when only one Pittsburgh Pirates batter reached base (via a walk) through seven innings.

After a loud foul, Gregory Polanco launched a 2-2 pitch over the fence in right field.

The veteran right-hander settled for a one-hit, 11-strikeout, 2-1 victory.

Charlie Hough

Career: 25 seasons (1970-94)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins

Careerstatistics: 440 GS, 216-216, 7.8 H/9, 3.75 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: In 1986, "Tough Luck" Charlie Hough took a no-hitter and 1-0 lead against the California Angels into the ninth inning.

Jack Howell reached on a three-base error with one out, then rookie Wally Joyner lined a single to right field that tied the score. When the knuckleballer failed to cover home plate on the second of two passed balls, Joyner scored from second base, and he lost the game, too.

Cue "Twilight Zone" theme.

Ferguson Jenkins

Career: 19 seasons (1965-83)

Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox

Careerstatistics: 594 GS, 284-226, 8.3 H/9, 3.34 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: Fergie felt so good before a 1979 game versus the Baltimore Orioles, he predicted a no-hitter.

The Rangers' right-hander retired the first 12 batters before John Lowenstein opened the fifth inning with a single to center field. Then, Jenkins set down 15 batters of the final 16 batters to complete a 4-0 masterpiece.

"That’s the closest I got," he said per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "You tell yourself, 'Hey, I have a chance to do it.' But it didn’t happen." And wouldn’t happen despite nearly 600 career starts.

Greg Maddux

Career: 23 seasons (1986-2008)

Team: Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers

Careerstatistics: 740 GS, 355-227, 8.5 H/9, 3.16 ERA

World Series title: 1 (1995)

Bottom line: Not even umpire Eric Gregg and his XXL-sized strike zone could put "Mad Dog" in the history books. Actually, the crafty right-hander did pitch a no-no even if it lasted only six innings.

In the 2006 season, the 40-year-old blanked Cincinnati Reds in his Dodgers debut before the rains came.

"If (the lead) was five or six runs, I’d love to have gone out there and rolled the dice a little bit," Maddux said after the 3-0 victory, the 328th of his career.

Pedro Martinez

Career: 18 seasons (1992-2009)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies

Careerstatistics: 409 GS, 219-100, 7.1 H/9, 2.93 ERA

World Series title: 1 (2004)

Bottom line: Never mind a no-hitter. There was a time when Petey was capable of a perfect game in any given start.

The Expos' right-hander retired the first 27 San Diego Padres in a 1995 game that was scoreless through nine innings. He gave up a lead-off double to Bip Roberts in the 10th inning but received credit for the eventual 1-0 win.

As a member of the Red Sox four years later, he allowed a Chili Davis homer with two outs in the second inning. Then he mowed down the next 22 New York Yankees batters to complete a memorable one-hit, 17-K, 3-1 masterpiece.

Rest of the story: Only weeks later, his brother Ramon no-hit the Florida Marlins.

Sam McDowell

Career: 15 seasons (1961-75)

Teams: Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates

Careerstatistics: 346 GS, 141-134, 7.0 H/9, 3.17 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: "Sudden Sam" had a hand in four one-hitters — two in consecutive starts against the Kansas City Athletics and Chicago White Sox in the 1966 season. The only hits: Jose Tartabull’s lead-off single in the sixth inning and Don Buford’s two-out double in the third, respectively.

A few weeks later, the Indians' ace appeared on a Sports Illustrated cover that asked "Faster than (Sandy) Koufax?"

The similarities didn’t stop there — both lefties encountered arm problems later that season that had a pronounced effect on their careers.

Andy Messersmith

Career: 12 seasons (1968-79)

Teams: California Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees

Careerstatistics: 295 GS, 130-99, 6.9 H/9, 2.86 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: The four-time All-Star is remembered for his successful challenge of the renewal clause in his contract.

There’s a tendency to forget just how filthy the right-hander was for eight seasons, during which he was the league leader in fewest hits allowed per inning three times.

His most serious fling with no-hit fame came with the Braves in the 1976 season, when Pepe Mangual of the Montreal Expos singled with one out in the ninth inning. The right-hander had to be content with a one-hit, 2-0 shutout.

Eddie Plank

Career: 17 seasons (1901-17)

Teams: Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Terriers, St. Louis Browns

Careerstatistics: 529 GS, 326-194, 7.9 H/9, 2.35 ERA

World Series titles: 3 (1910, 1911, 1913)

Bottom line: The Hall of Famer is one of only three pitchers with 500-plus career starts and a sub-2.50 ERA in major league history. (The others: Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson.)

Eddie Plank's closest call came in a 9-1 rout of the Washington Senators in the 1916 season. Eddie Foster ruined the no-hitter and shutout on a one-out double in the ninth inning.

Ed Reulbach

Career: 13 seasons (1905-17)

Teams: Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Superbas, Newark Pepper, Boston Braves

Careerstatistics: 300 GS, 182-106, 7.2 H/9, 2.28 ERA

World Series titles: 2 (1907, 1908)

Bottom line: At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, "Big Ed" wasn’t large by later standards, but his killer curveball packed a huge presence in the dead-ball era.

He ranks among the all-time leaders in hits per inning pitched for one season (1906, fifth) and a career (20th).

His career highlight: a 7-0 shutout in Game 2 of the 1906 all-Chicago World Series, in which Jiggs Donohue's single in the seventh inning was the only White Sox hit. The gem was one of two one-hitters in his career.

J.R. Richard

Career: 10 seasons (1971-80)

Teams: Houston Astros

Careerstatistics: 221 GS, 107-71, 6.9 H/9, 3.15 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: If a stroke hadn’t forced him to retire in the prime of his career, James Rodney Richard might not be on this list.

On 1980 Opening Day, the 6-foot-8 hard-baller blew down the Los Angeles Dodgers for 6 1/3 innings before Rudy Law singled to right field. Richard allowed one more hit and struck out 13 in eight innings of a 3-2 victory.

In the same matchup nine days later, the right-hander allowed only a Reggie Smith infield single with two outs in the fourth inning of a 2-0, 12-strikeout performance.

The 30-year-old pitched in only 14 more games.

CC Sabathia

Career: 19 seasons (2001-present)

Teams: Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees

Careerstatistics: 538 GS, 246-153, 8.5 H/9, 3.70 ERA

World Series titles: 1 (2009)

Bottom line: The XXL-sized left-hander coulda, woulda, shoulda had a no-no during his cup of decaf with the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 season.

In the fifth inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates' Andy LaRoche hit a slow roller that the pitcher was unable to field with his bare hand.

Official scorer Bob Webb ruled a hit, a decision that Major League Baseball upheld after the team filed a protest.

What took place in Tampa two years later might have been worse: The Rays’ Kelly Shoppach singled with two outs for the first hit in the eighth inning. I said Kelly Shoppach, people!

Chris Sale

Career: nine seasons (2010-present)

Teams: Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox

Careerstatistics: 232 GS, 109-73, 7.2 H/9, 3.03 ERA

World Series title: 1 (2018)

Bottom line: If Chris Sale took a no-no into the late innings, would the almighty pitch count allow him to finish it?

Remember, the Red Sox's ace was on the verge of the major league strikeout record early in the 2019 season, when he was pulled after 108 pitches in the seventh inning. (By the way, the Red Sox went on to lose the game.)

One year earlier, the lefty sidewinder one-hit the New York Yankees before he left with a 9-0 lead after the seventh inning. Giancarlos Stanton singled up the middle in the first inning for the lone hit.

Sale has thrown one career one-hitter in his career, in 2013 with the White Sox against the Angels.

John Smoltz

Career: 21 seasons (1988-99, 2001-09)

Teams: Atlanta Braves

Careerstatistics: 481 GS, 213-155, 8.0 H/9, 3.33 ERA

World Series title: 1 (1995)

Bottom line: In 1990, the future Hall of Famer was two outs shy of a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies, only to have Lenny Dykstra double down the right-field line in a 6-1 victory.

Six years later, the golf nut no-hit the San Diego Padres for 6 1/3 innings of a 4-0 shutout — while he tracked the Masters tournament in the clubhouse between innings.

Mario Soto

Career: 12 seasons (1977-88)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds

Careerstatistics: 224 GS, 100-92, 7.3 H/9, 3.47 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: The tightly wound right-hander was among the few pitchers with more career strikeouts than hits allowed.

Early in the 1984 season, Soto didn’t allow a hit to the St. Louis Cardinals and fanned 12 batters through eighth innings. George Hendrick took him deep with two outs to break up the no-hitter and tie the score at 1-all.

At least the three-time All-Star received credit for the victory when the Reds pushed across a run in the bottom half.

Don Sutton

Career: 23 seasons (1966-88)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, California Angels

Careerstatistics: 756 GS, 324-256, 8.0 H/9, 3.26 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: Of Don Sutton's six career one-hitters, the biggest letdown came against the rival San Francisco Giants late in the 1977 season. Marc Hill hit a flat slider for a single with two outs in the eighth inning. That was Marc Hill, .223 career hitter.

"I felt numb after that hit," the right-hander conceded afterward. "I felt it was one of my best games."

At least Sutton received a lovely parting gift — his 187th career win, which tied Don Drysdale for the most by a Dodgers pitcher in Los Angeles.

Fun fact: The Dodgers have the most no-hitters as a team in major league history with 26. The San Diego Padres have the fewest with zero.

Luis Tiant

Career: 19 seasons (1964-82)

Teams: Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels

Careerstatistics: 484 GS, 229-172, 7.9 H/9, 3.30 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: "El Tiante" had his closest brush with history in the first of his three one-hitters.

In a 1965 game versus the Washington Senators — my, they sure show up here a lot, don’t they? — Woodie Hold singled to open the seventh inning. That was the lone hit off the right-hander in a 5-0 shutout.

Rest of the story: In 1981, the 40-year-old came within one out of a second consecutive no-hitter as a Triple-A Portland Beavers gate attraction.

Bob Turley

Career: 12 seasons (1951, 1953-1963)

Teams: St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox

Careerstatistics: 237 GS, 101-85, 7.2 H/9, 3.64 ERA

World Series titles: 2 (1956, 1958)

Bottom line: "Bullet Bob" led the American League in fewest hits per inning four times in a span of five seasons. So it’s no great surprise that the one-time Cy Young Award winner had a number of close calls, four one-hitters and eight two-hitters in all.

His best shot came in the 1959 season, when the Washington Senators were hitless through eight innings in Game 2 of a Fourth of July doubleheader. Pinch-hitter Julio Becquer opened the ninth inning with an opposite-field single before the right-hander nailed down a 7-0 victory.

Rube Waddell

Career: 13 seasons (1897, 1899-1910)

Teams: Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Orphans, Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns

Career statistics: 340 GS, 193-143, 7.5 H/9, 2.16 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: The Athletics' free spirit was a prime candidate for a no-hitter in the 1905 season, when he paced the American League in wins (27), strikeouts (287) and fewest hits per nine innings (6.3).

He was well on his way to one against the St. Louis Browns, who barely got the ball out of the infield for five innings. The lefty faced the minimum 15 batters — nine on strikeouts and three on come-backers to the mound. The only batter to reach base got there on his own error.

But when a deluge washed out the rest of the 2-0 victory, the future HOFer was destined to become one of the best pitchers without an official no-no to his credit.

Early Wynn

Career: 23 seasons (1939, 1941-44, 1946-63)

Teams: Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox

Careerstatistics: 481 GS, 300-244, 8.5 H/9, 3.54 ERA

World Series titles: None

Bottom line: If burly Early Wynn would brush back his own grandmother if necessary, as he boasted more than once, then what would he have done for an elusive no-no?

His most dominant performance came against the Boston Red Sox in the 1959 season. The eventual Cy Young Award winner allowed only a first-inning single to Pete Runnels and struck out 14 batters in a 1-0 shutout.

Oh, he also doubled and homered for the only run of the game. It was a performance even grannie could love.