2 no-nos in 1 year? These guys did it

Only six pitchers have recorded two no-hitters in the same season. These six form one of baseball's most exclusive groups, featuring two Hall of Famers, the man called Mad Max and a pitcher whose feat remains unequaled more than 80 years later.

Max Scherzer, 2015 Nationals
June 20 vs. Pirates, Oct. 3 at Mets

Scherzer turned in two master class pitching performances during the 2015 season, but the perfect game eluded him not once, but twice across his two no-hitters.

In his June 20 no-hitter, Pirates outfielder Jose Tabata controversially took a hit-by-pitch to the elbow on a pitch that ran slightly in on him in the ninth inning. In Scherzer’s second no-hitter, Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki reached on an error by Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar in the sixth inning, becoming the only baserunner Scherzer would allow.

It didn’t faze Mad Max though, as the Cy Young winner struck out 27 batters in his two no-hitters, including 17 in his October performance.

Roy Halladay, 2010 Phillies
May 29 at Marlins, Oct. 6 vs. Reds

Halladay may have had the most dominant performance on this list, as the 2019 Hall of Fame inductee threw both the 20th perfect game in MLB history in May and became one of two pitchers to toss a no-hitter in the postseason in October.

His perfecto came against the Marlins, a game in which he also struck out 11. Halladay’s postseason no-no was the first since Don Larsen threw a perfect game during Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.

Halladay was the most dangerous pitcher in a 2010 Phillies rotation that also included All-Stars Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Jamie Moyer. His efforts against the Reds in the NLDS helped the Phillies reach the NLCS before they lost in six games to the eventual World Series champions Giants.

Nolan Ryan, 1973 Angels
May 15 at Royals, July 15 at Tigers

Ryan is one of the greatest pitchers to never win a Cy Young Award, but he came closest during his 1973 season, a year when he tossed two no-hitters on the road. Ryan finished second in voting, losing out to another Hall of Famer in Jim Palmer.

His first no-hitter came against the Royals right before a young man named George Brett was called up for Kansas City. Ryan struck out 12 and walked three in his performance. His second came against the Tigers in Detroit. Ryan struck out a whopping 17 batters and walked four. His two no-nos that year would become the first of an MLB record seven he would toss throughout his career.

Virgil Trucks, 1952 Tigers
May 15 vs. Senators, Aug. 25 at Yankees

The 1952 Tigers were not a great team to say the least. Detroit went 50-102, but Trucks saved what would’ve been a forgettable season otherwise. Trucks managed to twirl two gems at the ripe old age of 35, the oldest to do so on this list.

His first no-hitter nearly went into extra innings, as the Tigers won 1-0 on a Vic Wertz walk-off home run. Wertz sent one out with two outs in the ninth off of Senators starter Bob Porterfield, who had tossed 8 2/3 innings of shutout ball up until that point.

His second was against one of the most feared teams of his era, the World Series champion Yankees. In another 1-0 ballgame, Trucks managed to keep Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto and the rest of the Bronx Bombers out of the hit column.

Allie Reynolds, 1951 Yankees
July 12 at Indians, Sep. 28 vs. Red Sox

Reynolds became the second player in history to toss two no-hitters in one season in 1951 and the only one on this list to win the World Series in the same season. Reynolds was a Swiss Army knife for the Yankees that season, recording seven shutouts and six saves in 40 appearances.

The Yankees barely scraped out a 1-0 win in Reynolds’ first no-hitter against Cleveland, as Reynolds started opposite the great Bob Feller. Their lone run came on a Gene Woodling home run in the seventh inning.

Reynolds’ second no-no didn’t come easy either, as he had to navigate a Red Sox lineup that included Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky and Hall of Famer Ted Williams. Reynolds struck out nine in what was the first game of a doubleheader.

Johnny Vander Meer, 1938 Reds
June 11 vs. Braves, June 15 at Dodgers

Vander Meer may have turned in the best back-to-back starts of any pitcher in MLB history in 1938. After tossing a no-hitter against the Boston Braves on June 11, he turned around and tossed yet another four days later against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Even more impressive, Vander Meer did all of this in just his second season in the big leagues at age 23. And all these years later, no pitcher has ever been able to match him by throwing consecutive no-hitters.

In his first no-no, Vander Meer didn’t blow the ball by the Braves, as he had just four strikeouts on the day. He did, however, outhit the Braves, going 1-for-3 at the plate.

His second no-hitter had a little more traffic on the basepaths, as Vander Meer walked eight batters. He managed to strike out seven batters as well.