If the 2000s were the decade of the home run and performance-enhancing substances in Major League Baseball, then the 2010s are on their way in becoming the decade of dominant pitchers.
MLB pitchers are now in the running to throw 47 no-hitters this decade, which is an increase from just 14 in the course of 2000, according to Baseball-Reference. This is more than what has been seen in the history of any decade.
It is hard to get a true comparison, however, due to some mitigating circumstances in the data analysis. In the past, there have been less games played compared today. In the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's and 1950's, there were only 16 teams and a 154-game schedule. This means that there were approximately half as many games played than there are today. 1960 offers the only real comparison of this decade in terms of the no-hitter frequency, with 34 no-hitters in about 2/3 the number of games played each year. That surpasses the decaderate of about five per season, instead of 3.4 for an equal number of games.
So with less than 5 years left until the end of the 2010s, will the records make this the decade of pitchers? With the likes of Capbera and Harper in the running, this record is bound to be reached .349 and .366 average ratings and by September, who could think of another outcome? I am sure they will smash it through the ball park.