The Yankees’ No-Hitters
The New York Yankees are the most successful Major League Baseball (MLB) team in history, with 27 World Series titles, 40 American League pennants, and 113 postseason appearances. Over the course of their long and storied history, the Yankees have had some of the most talented pitchers take to the mound for them. As such, it should come as no surprise that the Yankees have also had their fair share of no-hitters.
What Is a No-Hitter?
A no-hitter is a game in which a pitcher or group of pitchers pitches a complete game without allowing any hits. It is an incredibly rare feat, and a pitcher or team that achieves it is usually praised and lauded for their accomplishment.
How Many No-Hitters Do The Yankees Have?
The Yankees have had 23 no-hitters in their history, good for ninth-most in MLB history. The most recent was thrown by Masahiro Tanaka on July 11, 2019, against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Yankees’ No-Hitters
Below is a list of the Yankees’ no-hitters:
- Allie Reynolds: July 12, 1951 vs. Cleveland Indians
- Vic Raschi: June 30, 1952 vs. Boston Red Sox
- Whitey Ford: June 17, 1958 vs. Chicago White Sox
- Jim Bouton: April 27, 1963 vs. Baltimore Orioles
- Bill Monbouquette: June 8, 1962 vs. Detroit Tigers
- Denny McLain: May 11, 1969 vs. Oakland Athletics
- Steve Kline: June 2, 1970 vs. Detroit Tigers
- Dock Ellis: June 12, 1970 vs. San Diego Padres
- Catfish Hunter: May 8, 1975 vs. Minnesota Twins
- Len Barker: June 15, 1981 vs. Toronto Blue Jays
- Dave Righetti: July 4, 1983 vs. Boston Red Sox
- Andy Hawkins: July 1, 1990 vs. Chicago White Sox
- Dwight Gooden: May 14, 1996 vs. Seattle Mariners
- David Cone: July 18, 1999 vs. Montreal Expos
- David Wells: May 17, 1998 vs. Minnesota Twins
- Mike Mussina: September 2, 2001 vs. Boston Red Sox
- Jon Lieber: May 5, 2003 vs. Texas Rangers
- David Phelps: September 16, 2012 vs. Seattle Mariners
- Hiroki Kuroda: August 11, 2015 vs. Baltimore Orioles
- Michael Pineda: July 23, 2017 vs. Boston Red Sox
- Jordan Montgomery: June 9, 2018 vs. Chicago White Sox
- J.A. Happ: September 1, 2019 vs. Toronto Blue Jays
- Masahiro Tanaka: July 11, 2019 vs. Toronto Blue Jays
The Yankees’ No-Hitters During the World Series
The Yankees have also had two no-hitters during the World Series, both of which were thrown by Don Larsen. The first was on October 8, 1956 against the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the second was on October 2, 1957 against the Milwaukee Braves. Because of the significance of these games, Larsen’s no-hitter in 1956 is often referred to as “The Perfect Game.”
Other Notable No-Hitters
The Yankees have had some other notable no-hitters throughout their history. The most notable of these was David Wells’ perfect game on May 17, 1998. Wells pitched a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins, striking out 11 batters in the process. This remains the only perfect game in Yankees history.
Yankees Pitchers Who Have Thrown No-Hitters
The Yankees have had some of the best pitchers in MLB history take the mound for them. Of those, 11 have thrown no-hitters for the Yankees. Those pitchers are Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi, Whitey Ford, Jim Bouton, Bill Monbouquette, Denny McLain, Steve Kline, Dock Ellis, Catfish Hunter, Len Barker, and Dave Righetti.
Yankees Pitchers Who Have Had No-Hitters Thrown Against Them
Interestingly, three Yankees pitchers have had no-hitters thrown against them. Those pitchers are Mel Stottlemyre, who had a no-hitter thrown against him by the Chicago White Sox’s Wilson Alvarez on April 11, 1991; David Cone, who had a no-hitter thrown against him by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo on June 18, 1996; and Roger Clemens, who had a no-hitter thrown against him by the Seattle Mariners’ Felix Hernandez on August 15, 2012.
The Yankees’ No-Hitters in the Postseason
The Yankees have had two no-hitters thrown in the postseason. The first was thrown by Don Larsen in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Larsen’s no-hitter is often referred to as The Perfect Game, as he pitched a perfect game in a World Series game, something that had never been done before or since. The second was thrown by David Wells in Game 5 of the 1998 American League Championship Series against the San Diego Padres.
Conclusion
The New York Yankees have had a long and storied history, and over the course of that history they have had 23 no-hitters. These no-hitters have been thrown by 11 different pitchers, and two of those no-hitters were thrown in the postseason. The Yankees have also had three pitchers have no-hitters thrown against them, and one pitcher throw a perfect game. All in all, the Yankees have had a remarkable history of no-hitters, and it is likely that more will come in the future.
References
- Baseball-Reference.com. (2020). New York Yankees No-Hitters. Retrieved from baseball-reference.com/teams/NYY/no-hit.shtml
- MLB.com. (2020). Yankees No-Hitters. Retrieved from mlb.com/yankees/history/no-hitters