Ranking the Top No-Hitters in Miami Marlins History

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The Miami/Florida Marlins have had a total of six no-hitters in their illustrious history. Despite being the third youngest franchise in MLB (founded in 1993), this mark ranks in the 20th on the all-time list of no-hitters by franchise.

The Fish rank ahead of significantly older clubs including the Pirates (founded in 1882), Orioles (1901), Twins (1901), and Mets (1962). Interestingly enough, Miami also boasts several pieces of baseball history that are woven throughout these six pitching gems.

Are you up for a trip down Marlins' memory lane? And perhaps up to learn some odd baseball records that will win your next baseball trivia night? Here are the Miami Marlins no-hitter power rankings:

#6: A.J. Burnett; May 12, 2001

A.J. Burnett's 2001 no-hitter represents one of the most fascinating odd stats in baseball history. On the plus side, the former All-Star (2015) recorded seven strikeouts on his way to a 3-0, no-hit victory against Ricky Henderson's San Diego Padres.

However, despite the dominant overall line, Burnett battled serious control problems throughout the course of the contest. While most pitchers flirt with a perfect game at some point in the course of throwing a no-hitter, Burnett's walk issues kept him far away from the latter feat.

The Marlins' starter walked nine batters in as many innings of work. This BB total is the second highest in MLB history, behind only Jim Maloney's 10-walk no-hitter with the 1965 Cincinnati Reds. This unusually high mark has caused Burnett's outing to commonly be ranked among the worst no-nos in baseball history.

While this future ace's outing was unique, he did manage to shut out his opponent while preventing them from putting even a single ball in play. This is an oft-maligned, but underrated moment that deserves a place of honor in Marlins' history.

#5: Henderson Alvarez; Sept 29, 2013

There are heaps of oddities surrounding the fifth entry on our list. Alvarez was one of the rare no-hitters in a game that ended in a walk-off. And a unique one at that.

The Marlins' SP pitched a gem, recording all 27 outs in just 99 pitches. All the while, the game's only run was scored when outfielder Giancarlo Stanton scored off of a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth.

This game was also the rare no-hitter to occur during the final game of the MLB regular season. It was a bright spot for the 2013 Marlins, who would record just 62 wins while finishing 34 games behind the division leader.

#4: Anibal Sanchez; Sept 6, 2006

While Anibal Sanchez established himself as a very solid starter over the course of his 16-year career, he is perhaps the most surprising player on this list. At the time, in 2006, Sanchez was a 22-year-old rookie who had just been called up from Double-A earlier that season.

The trivia point for this game is that the gap between Sanchez's no-hitter and the previous one (by Randy Johnson in 2004) is believed to be the longest gap between no-nos.

#3: Al Leiter; May 11, 1996

History will look back at Leiter as the best overall pitcher on this list and one of the most decorated players to even wear a Marlins uniform. The three-time World Series champion also holds the honor of being the first player in franchise history to record an official no-hitter. Additionally, Leiter's no-hitter was the first in MLB history to feature a three-pitch inning.

Leiter was dominant throughout this 11-0 blowout of the Colorado Rockies, striking out six batters and walking only two. You could make a legitimate argument that this start could rank higher on our list.

#2: Kevin Brown; June 10, 1997

Kevin Brown's stellar performance against the Giants in San Fransisco (the first no-hitter in club history pitched on the road) is the closest a Marlins' starter has ever come to a perfect game. Giants starter William VanLandingham also pitched a no-hitter through six innings, before the bottom fell out in a 9-0 Marlins victory.

Brown only allowed a single base runner, a hit-by-pitch with two outs in the eighth inning. Otherwise, Brown would be the Fins' only perfect starter.

#1: Edison Volquez, June 3, 2017

Edison Volquez's 2017 no-no ranks first on our list for two reasons:

1) It was a truly dominant outing by the electric starter. Volquez needed just 98 pitches to retire the minimum 27 batters (Volquez had two walks, each of which was recorded out on double plays). This is the fewest total number of pitches for a no-hitter in Marlins' history. Additionally, ten of his outs came via the strikeout.

While we're on the subject of trivia-worthy no-hitter facts. Volquez's was the first to feature a called hit being overturned by replay review. It was an all-around stellar star by the Fins' defacto-ace. This leads us to...

2) The emotional moments. Unlike others on this list, Volquez's no-hitter had emotional storylines and connections that surpassed the on-field game.

After the game, Volquez co-dedicated his game to friend and former teammate Yordano Ventura (pitcher for the Kansas City Royals), who tragically passed away earlier that year. The date of the no-hitter would have been Ventura's 26th birthday.

Volquez also co-dedicated his historic outing to fallen former teammate and Marlins' ace Jose Fernandez, who had passed away unexpectedly the year before.

When you combine the Greg-Maddux-like efficiency, the high strikeout totals, and the emotional connections, Volquez's no-hitter stands out as the best and most important in Marlins' franchise history.

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