Johan Santana Throws Mets’ First No-Hitter

Johan Santana used to throw pretty hard and doesn’t any more, but it’s always been the change-up that’s really set him apart. And this was just as true Friday night in his no-hitter as it’s ever been, as Santana threw 38 change-ups and recorded nine outs with them.

FanGraphs’ Jack Moore:

Each model predicts five as the most likely number of no-hitters for the team. Additionally, to match the low probability of zero no-hitters, we’d have to go pretty far out on the distribution, with 11 no-hitters (.83%) being slightly more likely than zero by the naïve model and 13 no-hitters (.38%) being slightly more likely than zero by the “out percentage” model.It was more likely for the Mets to throw 13 no-hitters than it was for them to throw zero. That says it all. And this seems almost prescient:

I thought that after presenting my data and writing this article, I would go back to wholeheartedly rooting for the Mets to throw a no-hitter, but now that it’s done, I’m not so sure. The Mets could throw a no-hitter tomorrow, and for a week, we’d have something to celebrate. We’d also lose a piece of our identity—a statistic and a feeling that makes the franchise and its fans unique. We’d become just another team with one no-hitter. I’m not sure I can get behind that.I have a feeling he’s doing juuuuuuust fine with all of this. Congratulations to Mets fans, and congrats to Craig Glaser. The whole article is even better after a Mets no-hitter. Now you don’t feel like a voyeur feeding on the misery of others.

In a normal game, he might have been lifted, with his team ahead 8-0. But there’s a no-hitter going, so Santana headed out for the eighth.

(Image via @MetsKevin11)