How long it took each team to toss a no-no

When the Padres finally ended their 52-year-long no-hitter drought with Joe Musgrove's brilliant performance against the Rangers in Texas on Friday, San Diego became the final team in the Majors to capture its first no-no. Here's a look at how long it took each of the 30 clubs to get that first no-hitter, from the shortest time period to longest:

Washington Nationals (Montreal Expos): 9 games (1969)

There was a palpable excitement in Montreal for the first franchise in Major League history to be established outside the United States. And it didn’t take long to get one of the club’s major milestones checked off the list. On April 7, 1969, in the ninth game in Expos/Nationals history, right-hander Bill Stoneman no-hit the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium in just his fifth Major League start. The 25-year-old walked five and struck out eight in Montreal’s 7-0 win.

In Washington, the franchise’s first no-hitter as the Nationals came on Sept. 28, 2014, nine years after the move from Montreal, when righty Jordan Zimmermann no-hit the Marlins on the final day of the regular season. He walked just one and fanned 10 on 104 pitches.

Cleveland Indians (then Blues): 54 games (1901)

The Cleveland franchise needed just 54 games to notch its first no-hitter, with southpaw Pete Dowling shutting down the Brewers while issuing four walks on June 30, 1901 in Milwaukee.

Chicago White Sox: 1 year (1901-02)

In Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Tigers at Southside Park on Sept. 20, 1902, White Sox right-hander Jimmy Callahan -- who also played all over the infield and outfield during his career -- no-hit Detroit while walking two and striking out two in a 3-0 Chicago victory.

Los Angeles/California Angels: 1 year (1961-1962)

The Angels also picked up their first no-hitter one year into franchise history. On May 5, 1962, lefty Bo Belinsky worked around four walks to no-hit the Orioles at Dodger Stadium, where the Angels shared a park with their neighbors while their own stadium was being built in Anaheim. Belinsky struck out nine in the 2-0 victory.

Houston Astros (Colt .45s): 1 year (1962-63)

For the franchise’s first three seasons, the Astros were known as the Colt .45s, and it was one year into club history that Houston got its first no-hitter when on May 17, 1963, right-hander Don Nottebart blanked the Phillies in the hit department even though Philadelphia did score once in a 4-1 game. The contest was played at Colt Stadium, the temporary home of the expansion team until the Astrodome opened nearby in 1965. Nottebart gave up the unearned run, walked three and struck out eight.

Boston Red Sox (Americans): 3 years (1901-04)

The first no-hitter in Red Sox history came when the club was known as the Boston Americans -- on May 5, 1904, Cy Young, one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, no-hit the Philadelphia Athletics in a 3-0 victory at Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds, which was also the site of the first modern World Series the year before. Young was perfect on this day, not allowing a single baserunner to reach base. It was the second of three career no-hitters for the man after whom the most prestigious pitching honor in the game is named.

Miami/Florida Marlins: 3 years (1993-96)

On May 11, 1996, left-hander Al Leiter brought the Marlins their first no-hitter when he dominated against the Rockies at Joe Robbie Stadium. Leiter walked two and struck out six on 103 pitches, shutting down a formidable Colorado lineup in an 11-0 Florida win.

Kansas City Royals: 4 years (1969-73)

The Royals began play in 1969, and four years later came the franchise’s first no-hitter when right-hander Steve Busby blanked the Tigers in Detroit. It was one of the more unusual no-hitters in the modern era -- Busby walked six batters but managed to etch his name in the history books with the first Royals no-no.

Oakland (then Philadelphia) A’s: 4 years (1901-05)

In the second game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman’s Park on July 22, 1905, the A’s recorded the first no-hitter in franchise history courtesy of Weldon Henley. The right-hander no-hit the Browns while walking three and striking out two.

The franchise’s first no-hitter after moving to Oakland in 1968 came in … 1968. In fact, it only took 25 games for the Oakland A’s to get their first no-hitter. On May 8 of that season, Jim “Catfish” Hunter tossed a perfect game against the Twins at the Oakland Coliseum, striking out 11 of the 27 batters he faced.

Arizona D-backs: 6 years (1998-2004)

It’s only fitting that Randy Johnson, who won four straight National League Cy Young Awards with Arizona from 1999-2002, pitched the first no-hitter in D-backs history. It came in Atlanta on May 18, 2004, when the Big Unit overpowered the Braves in a 2-0 Arizona win. The Hall of Fame left-hander tossed a perfect game with 13 strikeouts on 117 pitches for the second no-hitter of his career.

New York/San Francisco Giants: 8 years (1883-1891)

The Giants have one of the oldest franchises in MLB history, and their first no-hitter came while they were in New York. Hall of Fame right-hander Amos Rusie no-hit the Brooklyn Grooms on July 31, 1891. After the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958, it took five years for the Giants to throw their first no-hitter out West. It came from Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, who no-hit the Houston Colt .45s at Candlestick Park on June 15, 1963. The “Dominican Dandy” walked two and struck out five in a 1-0 San Francisco victory.

St. Louis Cardinals (then Browns): 9 years (1882-1891)

The Cardinals are another franchise with a long and rich history, and their first no-hitter came as the St. Louis Browns on Oct. 4, 1891. That’s when Ted Breitenstein no-hit the Louisville Colonels in the first game of a doubleheader on the final day of the season, leading St. Louis to an 8-0 victory. And, incredibly, it was his first Major League start.

In the modern era (since 1901), the club’s first no-hitter was on July 17, 1924, when Jesse Haines no-hit the Boston Braves in a 5-0 victory at Sportsman’s Park. The right-hander walked three and struck out five.

Cincinnati Reds: 10 years (1882-1892)

The Reds are the oldest professional team in baseball history. So it makes sense that Cincinnati’s first no-hitter came in the earliest years of the game. On Oct. 15, 1892, Bumpus Jones no-hit the Pirates in a 7-1 win on the final day of the regular season.

In the modern era, the Reds got their first no-no on May 2, 1917, when right-hander Fred Toney didn’t allow a hit in 10 innings to lead Cincinnati to a 1-0 victory over the Cubs in Chicago.

Detroit Tigers: 11 years (1901-12)

For the Tigers, no-hitter number one came on Independence Day, 1912. In the second game of a twin bill against the St. Louis Browns, George Mullin tossed a no-hitter while walking five and striking out five in a 7-0 win at Navin Field.

Baltimore Orioles (St. Louis Browns): 11 years (1901-12)

The Orioles were also known as the St. Louis Browns in the earliest years of franchise history (no relation to the St. Louis Browns who later became the St. Louis Cardinals). This game also took place at Navin Field, but this time the Tigers were the team that was no-hit, not the team whose pitcher got the no-no. Browns lefty Earl Hamilton walked two and gave up an unearned run in a 5-1 St. Louis victory.

The franchise moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles in 1954, and four years later, the O’s got their first no-hitter thanks to Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm, who no-hit the mighty Yankees lineup in a 1-0 victory over New York at Memorial Stadium.

Texas Rangers (Washington Senators): 12 years (1961-73)

Nope, it wasn’t one of Nolan Ryan’s record seven no-hitters that was the first in Rangers history. It came much earlier than that -- on July 30, 1973 at the Oakland Coliseum, Jim Bibby no-hit the defending World Series champion Athletics in a 6-0 Texas victory. The right-hander walked six and struck out 13.

Tampa Bay Rays: 12 years (1998-2010)

The Rays made a storybook run to the World Series in 2008, but it wasn’t until two seasons later that Tampa Bay would have its first no-hitter. On July 26, 2010, right-hander Matt Garza was brilliant in a 5-0 win over the Tigers at Tropicana Field, no-hitting Detroit while walking one and striking out six on 120 pitches.

Seattle Mariners: 13 years (1977-90)

Randy Johnson’s no-no with the D-backs in 2004 wasn’t his first. His first came 14 years earlier, when the Big Unit tossed the first no-hitter in Mariners history at the Kingdome against the Tigers on June 2, 1990. Johnson was still dealing with control issues early in his career, and walked six batters. But he also struck out eight and in a glimpse of things to come for the flame-throwing lefty, he became the first Mariner to throw a no-hitter.

Toronto Blue Jays: 13 years (1977-90)

After famously losing multiple no-hitters in the ninth inning, Blue Jays right-hander Dave Stieb finally got the job done on Sept. 2, 1990, when he no-hit Cleveland at Municipal Stadium, throwing 123 pitches while walking four and fanning nine in a 3-0 Toronto victory.

New York Yankees: 14 years (1903-17)

While it may seem surprising that it took the most successful franchise in baseball history 14 years to get that first no-hitter, remember that this was before the Bronx Bombers became the dynasty that we’ve come to know -- Babe Ruth wasn’t yet a Yankee when George Mogridge no-hit the Red Sox in a 2-1 win at Fenway Park.

Philadelphia Phillies: 15 years (1883-98)

The Phillies would have to wait 15 years before seeing one of their own toss a no-hitter, but on July 8, 1898, it finally happened -- Red Donahue blanked the Boston Beaneaters in a 5-0 victory at the Baker Bowl.

Atlanta Braves (Boston Beaneaters): 16 years (1876-1892)

The Atlanta Braves were once the Boston Beaneaters? Yes, it’s true. And it was as the Beaneaters that the franchise had its first no-hitter on Aug. 6, 1892. On that day, Jack Stivetts yielded no hits to the Brooklyn Grooms at Eastern Park as part of an 11-0 Boston win.

The franchise moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966, and seven years later, the first no-hitter by an Atlanta Braves pitcher was completed by Hall of Fame knuckleballer Phil Niekro on Aug. 5, 1973. Niekro baffled Padres hitters en route to a 9-0 Atlanta victory at Atlanta Stadium, walking three and striking out four.

Colorado Rockies: 17 years (1993-2010)

While a Rockies pitcher has yet to throw a no-hitter at the most hitter-friendly park in the Majors, Colorado’s Coors Field, they do have one on the road. That came on April 17, 2010, when right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez no-hit the Braves in Atlanta in a 4-0 Rockies win. He walked six and struck out seven on 128 pitches at Turner Field, the signature moment in his finest season, one in which he finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting.

Milwaukee Brewers: 18 years (1969-87)

It took a while for the Brewers to get that first no-hitter, but when they did it in 1987, it was the only no-hitter in the Majors that year. It was Juan Nieves who would accomplish the rare feat, no-hitting the Orioles in Baltimore on April 15. Though he would only pitch three seasons in the Majors, Nieves wrote his name in the record books as the first Brewer to toss a no-no, walking five and fanning seven in a 7-0 victory.

Minnesota Twins (Washington Senators): 19 years (1901-20)

The Twins were originally the Washington Senators, and it took 19 years for the franchise to achieve its first no-hitter, doing so on July 1, 1920. Hall of Famer Walter Johnson no-hit the Red Sox at Fenway Park on that day, walking none and striking out 10. The Big Train missed a perfect game due to an error in the field, but Washington won, 1-0.

The Senators moved to Minnesota and became the Twins in 1961, and it only took the Twins a year to have their first no-hitter thrown. Jack Kralick took care of that when he shut down the Kansas City Athletics in a 1-0 win at Metropolitan Stadium. The left-hander walked one and struck out three, outdueling counterpart Bill Fischer, who also spun a gem of his own.

Los Angeles Dodgers (then Brooklyn Superbas): 22 years (1884-1906)

What took the earliest iterations of the Dodgers franchise 22 years to do, it took the Los Angeles Dodgers only four years to accomplish. Back when they were known as the Brooklyn Superbas, the club’s first no-hitter was thrown by Mal Eason against the Cardinals in a 2-0 victory on July 20, 1906. But just four years after the club moved west to Los Angeles in 1958, Sandy Koufax threw the first of four career no-hitters on June 30, 1962 against the Mets at Dodger Stadium. The Hall of Fame southpaw walked five and struck out 13 in a 5-0 win.

Chicago Cubs (then Orphans): 22 years (1876-98)

The Cubs had to wait 108 years for a World Series title after winning it all in 1908. But it was 10 years earlier that they threw the first no-hitter in franchise history. Known then as the Chicago Orphans, the club got its first no-no on Aug. 21, 1898, when Walter Thornton no-hit the Brooklyn Bridegrooms in a 2-0 win.

Pittsburgh Pirates: 25 years (1882-1907)

The Pirates’ first no-hitter came a quarter of a century into their history, when Nick Maddox achieved the feat against the Brooklyn Superbas on Sept. 20, 1907, at Exposition Park. Maddox walked three and struck out five in a 2-1 Pirates victory.

New York Mets: 50 years (1962-2012)

Here’s where the gap doubles -- the Pirates had a 25-year wait for their first no-hitter, but the next team on this list, the Mets, had to wait half a century into their existence. But on June 1, 2012, at Citi Field, it finally happened: Left-hander Johan Santana no-hit the Cardinals. He walked five, struck out eight and needed 134 pitches, but he got the job done and the Mets finally had their long-awaited no-no.

San Diego Padres: 52 years (1969-2021)

The last team to record a no-hitter in MLB history is the Padres. But it was well worth the wait for the Friars, given the way it all happened. On April 9, 2021, one day after the 52nd anniversary of the franchise’s first game in 1969, San Diego area native Joe Musgrove ended the 18,995-day drought for his hometown club. The right-hander missed a perfect game only because he hit a batter -- he walked none and struck out 10 in a 3-0 Padres win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field.