Blake Snell no-hitter: Three factors that have allowed Giants lefty to turn his 2024 season around

Snell has altered his pitch mix and location, and he's also enjoying his first consistency of the year

By R.J. Anderson Aug 3, 2024 at 11:25 am ET• 3 min read

Blake Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, threw the 17th no-hitter in San Francisco Giants history on Friday night, blanking the Cincinnati Reds in what doubled as his first ever complete game. Snell, whose career narrative includes a notorious early hook during the 2020 World Series, had previously never thrown more than 7 2/3 innings in a start -- and even that outing came in August 2021.

"They can't say it anymore. You know? Complete game, shutout, no-hitter. Leave me alone. 'He doesn't go into the 9th. He doesn't go into the 8th.' Just did it. Leave me alone," Snell told reporters after the game.

Another brickbat that Snell has rendered obsolete? The idea that he's been a disappointing signing. He's all but atoned for a rough introduction to the year: through his last five starts, he's amassed a 0.55 ERA with 31 more strikeouts than walks. Snell has held opponents to a .078/.159/.126 slash line with one home run and eight hits allowed. The Giants, predictably, have won four of those five games. 

In turn, Snell's seasonal rate statistics are now all superior to his career averages with one notable exception: his ERA.