Houston Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco threw the first 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) no-hitter. It was the 323rd no-hitter in MLB history and the 17th by a Houston Astros pitcher.
Blanco used 105 pitches, 73 for strikes, to blank the Toronto Blue Jays. He allowed only two walks while striking out seven. The Astros won the game 10-0.
Blanco, who will turn 31 on 31 August, was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic. It was just his eighth MLB start.
Originally a corner infielder, Ronel started pitching at 18. The Houston Astros signed him as a 22-year-old international free agent in 2016 for a US$ 5,000 bonus.
Blanco made the MLB roster in 2022 and debuted on 7 April.
During the 2023 Spring Training, the Astros general manager Dana Brown tabbed him as a starter.
Blanco was optioned to the Triple-A club but was called up to start his first MLB game. On June 1, 2023, he went 5.1 innings and earned the win against the Los Angeles Angels.
He wouldn't have made the Astros starting rotation if Justin Verlander and José Urquidy had been healthy. Manager Joe Espada broke the news to him just days before the season opener.
"It's been a very long road travelled for me, a lot of ups and downs, "Blanco commented through an interpreter. "A lot of falls and me getting back up. But I think all of that has been worth it for me to be able to get to this moment."
