2021 is Officially the Year of the No-Hitter as Tyler Gilbert's 1st GS Sets Records

It’s safe to say that Arizona Diamondbacks SP Tyler Gilbert‘s professional career is off to a phenomenal start. The 27-year-old left-hander pitched a no-hitter in his first major league start against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night, just eight months after being acquired in the Rule 5 draft. Gilbert’s performance marked the eighth no-hitter thrown this season, tying an MLB record in what has turned out to be a historic year for baseball.

Tyler Gilbert threw the 1st no-hitter at Arizona's Chase Field by a #Dbacks pitcher in franchise history pic.twitter.com/4Z74kegXxN
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) August 15, 2021

INTERESTING FACTS

2021 now has the most no-hitters (8) during a single season in the Modern Era and the t-most in MLB history (1884)
Gilbert became the 1st pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his 1st career start since 1953 & the 2nd in Modern Era (1900)
1st no-hitter at Arizona’s Chase Field by a D-backs pitcher in franchise history
Arizona Diamondbacks were the most games below .500 (43) entering a no-hitter in NL history
D-Backs had the lowest Win% (.316) entering a no-hitter since the 1916 Athletics (min 35 GP)

Odds vs. SD: ARI +130 (Spread +1.5)

MAIN TAKEAWAY

2021 IS OFFICIALLY THE YEAR OF THE NO-HITTER AFTER GILBERT’S HISTORIC NO-NO

Tyler Gilbert’s no-hitter was historic for a number of reasons. The franchise and league records broken may have overshadowed the most surprising part of the night: his opponent. The young pitcher was able to no-hit a very talented Padres lineup that includes the likes of Manny Machado and Adam Frazier (Tatis Jr. was out). The performance was one of the few bright spots for the D-Backs this season, but it was a rough showing for a Padres team that is barely holding onto the second NL Wild Card spot.

Saturday night’s no-no was the eighth time such a feat was accomplished this season, tying an MLB record that has stood since 1884. The success has come from a variety of places, ranging from stars like Corey Kluber to a combined effort by the Chicago Cubs. Joe Musgrove, who started for the Padres opposite Gilbert on Saturday, even had a no-hitter of his own earlier this season (the first in Padres history). Despite the chaos surrounding the ongoing pandemic, 2021 has been extraordinarily good to pitchers.