According to a historical trend dating back to 1917, whenever a New York Yankees pitcher throws a no-hitter, the Yankees win the World Series in the same season 70% of the time. Corey Kluber tossed a no-hitter for the Yankees against the Texas Rangers last week, so will this historical trend hold up and the Yankees win the 2021 World Series?
Ten different pitchers threw 11 no-hitters for the Yankees between 1917 and 1999, and the Yankees won the World Series later that same season seven times.
Allie Reynolds threw two no-hitters during an epic 1951 season with one in July and the other in late September. The Yankees won the World Series in October of 1951.
| Yankees’ No-Hitter History |
| Pitcher | Date | Win World Series? |
| George Mogridge | 4/3/1917 | No |
| Sad Sam Jones | 9/4/1923 | Yes |
| Monte Pearson | 8/27/1938 | Yes |
| Allie Reynolds | 7/12/1951 | Yes |
| Allie Reynolds | 9/28/1951 | Yes |
| Don Larsen | 10/8/1956 | Yes |
| Dave Righetti | 7/4/1983 | No |
| Jim Abbott | 9/4/1993 | No |
| Dwight Gooden | 5/14/1996 | Yes |
| David Wells | 5/17/1998 | Yes |
| David Cone | 7/18/1999 | Yes |
| Corey Kluber | 5/19/2021 | ??? |
Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history against the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. The Yankees went on to defeat the Dodgers in seven games.
The current Yankees (28-19) won six games in a row and improved to +700 odds to win the 2021 World Series, according to DraftKings. The Bronx Bombers are the second-highest team on the MLB futures board trailing the LA Dodgers (+340 odds).
Ghosts of the Yankees: Sad Sam Jones, Don Larsen
Kluber secured the first no-hitter for the Yankees in the 21st Century. David Cone threw the last no-no for the Yankees back in 1999 when he pitched a perfect game.
In the second half of the 1990s, the Yankees dominated the league with four World Series titles. They won three of those titles in the same year someone threw a no-hitter. Those outings include perfect games by Cone in 1999 and David Wells in 1998, in addition to Doc Gooden’s no-hitter in 1996.
George Mogridge secured the first no-hitter in franchise history back in 1917 when he no-hit the Boston Red Sox in a 2-1 ballgame. That was back when Babe Ruth was a pitcher for the Red Sox, and before he joined the Yankees to become the Sultan of Swat. The Yankees didn’t win the World Series in 1917.
They began their no-hitter/World Series trend in 1923 thanks to Sad Sam Jones. Jones no-hit the Philadelphia Athletics in 1923. The Yanks won their first World Series that year, so maybe the ghosts of Yankees past have a little something to do with this wild trend.
During the Yankees’ lean years in the 1980s and early 1990s, they never won the pennant, let alone played in the World Series. Two pitchers tossed no-nos, including Dave Righetti on July 4 in 1983, and Jim Abbot in 1993. The inspirational Abbot was born without a right hand, but that never deterred him from becoming a pro ballplayer, let alone etching his name in the history books with a no-hitter.
Kluber earns pinstripes with no-hitter
In a two-week span this season, pitchers around the league hurled four no-hitters, including Spencer Turnbull from the Detroit Tigers who no-hit the Seattle Mariners less than 24 hours before Kluber’s no-no. A total of six pitchers no-hit teams this year, and it’s not even Memorial Day yet.
Kluber threw only 101 pitches against the Texas Rangers en route to his no-hit bid. He struck out nine batters and gave up just one walk. The Yankees prevailed 2-0.
“It was a lot of fun, I think it was a special night,” said Kluber. “I’ve never been part of one, witnessed one, let alone thrown one.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ecstatic over Kluber’s performance. “I had butterflies in that ninth inning … To see his teammates and the excitement of everyone for Corey, and just the excitement for themselves being a part of such a thing. What a performance.”
Announcer Paul O’Neill summed up Kluber’s performance succinctly. “He was phenomenal tonight. You can count the mistakes he made on one finger.”
Kluber, 35, pitched the first no-hitter of his big-league career. The Yankees gambled that the two-time Cy Young winner would return to his old form after spending the last few seasons sidelined with unfortunate injuries. Kluber signed a one-year deal worth only $11 million, but after the no-hitter, the team’s flier on Kluber has already paid off in lore. He improved to 4-2 on the season and his ERA improved to 2.86.
Kluber tossed the first road no-hitter for the Yankees since Reynolds in 1951.
Yes. Trend continues. I am a partial yankee fan so yeah whatareyagoneadoaboutit????