With Mets pitcher, Paul Blackburn pitching 4 perfect innings and his bullpen finishing the rest of the game with just two hits against, the question of “Has there been any no-hitters produced in Spring Training?” naturally came up. The short answer is no.
While no official records indicate a pitcher has thrown a complete no-hitter during MLB Spring Training, there have been notable near no-hitters in Spring Training history. Here are five such instances:
Gerrit Cole – March 10, 2020: Cole, then with the New York Yankees, pitched five no-hit innings against the Toronto Blue Jays, recording seven strikeouts. He was removed due to pitch count restrictions, and the bullpen carried the no-hitter into the eighth inning before it was broken up.
Chris Sale – March 21, 2014: Pitching for the Chicago White Sox against the Cleveland Indians, Sale delivered five perfect innings, striking out six batters. He was relieved in the sixth inning, maintaining the perfect game through his appearance.
Clayton Kershaw – March 18, 2017: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace pitched six no-hit innings against the Texas Rangers, recording 11 strikeouts. He was removed after reaching his pitch count, with the bullpen preserving the no-hitter until the ninth inning, when it was broken up.
Max Scherzer – March 12, 2018: Scherzer, representing the Washington Nationals, threw 7⅔ no-hit innings against the New York Mets, amassing nine strikeouts. He exited the game due to pitch count limitations, and the bullpen completed the combined no-hitter.
Madison Bumgarner – March 25, 2019: Pitching for the San Francisco Giants, Bumgarner delivered seven no-hit innings against the Oakland Athletics, striking out six. He was relieved in the eighth inning, and the bullpen maintained the no-hitter until the ninth, when it was lost.
