Predicting who might finally throw MLB’s first no-hitter of 2025

Just under a month remains in the 2025 MLB season, and, despite the stellar pitching leaguewide, we still haven’t seen a no-hitter. 

Although nine pitchers have taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning this year, none have finished the job. Tyler Glasnow and the Los Angeles Dodgers came close on Monday night, keeping the Colorado Rockies hitless for eight innings before Ryan Ritter doubled off Tanner Scott to open the ninth.

The sport’s last no-hitter came on Sept. 4, 2024, when three Cubs pitchers no-hit the rival Pirates. Blake Snell, then with the San Francisco Giants, pitched the sport’s most recent solo no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2, 2024

Every MLB season since 2005 has featured at least one no-hitter, and we’re not giving up hope yet. For this list, we’re focusing on pitchers who were healthy and on major-league rosters as of Sept. 9, 2025. That might sound obvious, but it means players like the New York Mets’ Kodai Senga, who is currently at Triple-A Syracuse, are ineligible because we don’t know when they’ll pitch in the big leagues again. 

We’re also focusing on starting pitchers and the idea that they’ll throw a nine-inning no-hitter. In other words, we’re not suggesting that the Philadelphia Phillies’ Aaron Nola, Tanner Banks, and Jhoan Duran will pitch a combined no-no. That’d certainly be interesting, though.

Regardless, here are the three pitchers we believe have the best chance of throwing a no-hitter before season’s end.

Carlos Rodón, New York Yankees

Rodón has graduated into one of the Yankees’ most reliable pitchers this season, and his 3.12 ERA has carried the Bronx Bombers through a frustrating summer. However, Rodón has always been prone to allowing baserunners, and he’s walking 3.6 batters per nine innings. 

But, and this is a key but, Rodón’s 6.0 hits allowed per nine is the best of any qualified starting pitcher. He’s also recorded a 3.20 ERA and only allowed five homers in 50 2/3 second half innings. We feel confident in Rodón, who previously pitched a no-hitter for the Chicago White Sox in 2021.

One key factor also working in Rodón’s favor: Yankees manager Aaron Boone has proven he’ll allow his starters to complete no-hitters if given the opportunity. Corey Kluber (101 pitches) and Domingo Germán (99 pitches) both finished the job in their respective no-nos, with Germán even pitching a perfect game against the Athletics in June 2023.

Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves

Sale is among the many Cy Young winners to have never thrown a no-hitter, and he’s well on pace to join a long list of Hall of Famers who never accomplished the feat, either. Could that change within the coming weeks? We certainly think it’s feasible.

When healthy, Sale has remained his usual elite form this year, punching out 132 hitters in 102 innings and posting 3.4 bWAR across 17 starts. As they put the finishing touches on their first losing season in nearly a decade, the Braves are still letting Sale take the mound every fifth day — and they’re left to further bemoan the rib injury Sale suffered in mid-June.

“It is tough to kind of sit here and be like, ‘Man, what if?’” Sale admitted after dominating the Seattle Mariners last week. “What if you would have been able to pitch these last two months and be able to pitch like you were and like you have been?”

Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

Skenes might seem like an obvious choice given his continued excellence, but that’s exactly why he’s on this list. The two-time All-Star has repeatedly demonstrated that opponents simply cannot hit him, and we expect him to record a no-hitter at some point. 

Yes, we’re aware that some of the greatest pitchers in league history, including Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens, never threw a no-no. How can you bet against Skenes, though? He’s averaging 10.1 strikeouts per nine with a sterling 1.98 ERA, and his 6.4 hits per nine isn’t too shabby, either. In fact, Skenes is one of only 11 pitchers allowing fewer than seven hits per nine innings.

Skenes recently hinted that he doesn’t expect the last-place Pirates to shut him down early, which is our biggest concern. For now, though, we trust Skenes to follow through and become the first Pirates pitcher to accomplish a no-hitter since Francisco Córdova and Ricardo Rincón teamed up for a 10-inning no-no on July 12, 1997.

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