Add Clayton Kershaw To The List Of Folks Not Loving All The No-Hitters

As MLB fans already know, the first 50 days of the season have featured a whopping six no-hitters.

That's great!

Or is it?

Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw isn't so sure.

"It's not good, I'll tell you that," Kershaw said. "No-hitters are cool, and I have all the respect in the world for Corey Kluber and Madison Bumgarner and all those guys who have thrown no-hitters," Kershaw told reporters. "But to have one happen every night is probably not good for the game."

The six no-hitters are putting baseball on track to break the record of eight in a season -- set way back in 1884.

While you can chalk some of this up to outstanding pitching, critics also say batters are beginning to show a willingness to strike out rather than trying to put the ball in play. In other words, hitters are increasingly taking a home-run-or-bust approach.

And it hasn't really worked out that way.

As Yahoo Sports explained, "Home runs are down from a record 1.39 per game in 2019 to 1.14 per game. In part that's due to intentional changes made this season by MLB to 'deaden' the ball, which at less than three grams lighter, travels slightly less far."

Kershaw said that, too, can play a role in giving pitchers an advantage.

"There might be fewer home runs, which I guess is what they want, but April was one of the worst hitting months in the history of the game," he said.

So no-hitters have always bee cool. But maybe it's been a little bit of overkill this season.

"Fans want to see some hits, I get that, and some action, and not too many guys striking out," Kershaw said.























Written by
Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.