We saw the first no hitter of the season yesterday!
The best StrikeZone ratings for 1 April:
- Blanco (HOU) 11.5 (No Hitter!!!)
- Imanaga (CHC) 9.4 (MLB Debut)
- Houck (BOS) 9.3
- Manaea (NYM) 9.1
- Morton (ATL) 8.0
Worst pitcher of the day:
Boyle (OAK) 1.5
Ronel Blanco wasn’t supposed to start the season in the Astros rotation. Injuries forced him into the fifth spot of the rotation. He surprised the world yesterday when he threw the first no hitter of the season. What is more impressive is the fact that he did it against the Blue Jays in his 8th MLB start. His line was 9 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 7K. There was 20 whiffs in 105 pitches. Interestingly he increased the usage of his changeup in this game to 34% and it had a 42% whiff rate. It made sense as it was a good pitch for him last season, although he only threw it 9% of the time in 2023 with a 37% whiff rate.
Shota Imanaga impressed in his MLB debut for the Cubs with 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 9 K. He had 20 whiffs in 92 pitches. His splitter was absolutely filthy with a 80% whiff rate. Many will say it was the Rockies and don’t get carried away. His fastball doesn’t overpower hitters but he does have great command. So he’s for sure one to watch going forward.
Tanner Houck had a great outing as the Red Sox starting rotation continues to impress. His slider looked great returning a 47% whiff rate. His line was 6 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 10K. He is the first Red Sox pitcher ever to allow zero runs, issue zero walks and strike out 10 hitters in his season debut. Yes, he pitched against the A’s but his stuff was good and he should do well this season if he maintains it.
Sean Manaea pitched six scoreless innings against the Tigers 6 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 8 Ks. He had 13 whiffs in 88 pitches. He relied alot on his fastball, throwing it 63% of the time and mostly in the zone. The Tigers were not able to take advantage of this. His changeup and sweeper wasn’t used too often but when it was it returned a good whiff rate. Manaea had a good Spring and this outing could lay the foundation for a solid start to the season.