If it seems as though it was just the other day that there was a no hitter in Major League Baseball, it is because that was actually the case. However, the Year of the No Hitter will not be stopped, as one could occur on any given day, with any given pitcher making history. That was the case on Wednesday with New York Yankees pitcher Corey Kluber.
Kluber was in complete control over the Texas Rangers, with whom he pitched exactly one inning last year. He struck out nine batters with a third inning walk to Charlie Culberson the only blemish on the night.
Corey Kluber completes historic no hitter for New York Yankees
Kluber became the first pitcher to fire their first no hitter at 35 years old, or older, since David Cone in 1999. That outing was also the last no hitter in New York Yankees history. With his masterful performance, he has now thrown the 12th official no hitter in team history.
His masterful outing was the sixth official no hitter of the season, yet only three teams have actually been held without a hit. The Rangers, Mariners, and Indians have all been no hit twice this season, something that had been a rare occurrence before this season.
At this point, it seems all but certain that the record for the most official no hitters in a year will be shattered. There were eight no hitters in 1884, with the modern record of seven having been set in 1990, and tied in 1991, 2012, and 2015. The six no hitters through May 19 are the most in a season through this date.
For Kluber, it is a capstone on what has been a remarkable turnaround. He had appeared to be on his last legs in his first four outings of the season, struggling with his command and failing to complete five innings in any of those starts. Since that point, he has been on fire, culminating with his dominant performance over the Rangers.
New York Yankees pitcher Corey Kluber threw the sixth official no hitter of the 2021 season. This performance adds to what promises to be a historic year.