Starting Pitchers Around Baseball Make History on Tuesday as League-Wide Offensive Issues Persist

Starting pitchers across baseball made collective history on Tuesday night as the day marked the first time since 1901 that five different starters have gone 7.0 shutout innings with no walks. In the chase for big pitching velocity and elite movement, offense is being left behind.

May 9, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Erick Fedde (20) delivers a / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

As offensive numbers plummet league-wide, starting pitchers made collective history on Tuesday night.

Per @OptaSTATS on social media:

Starters to throw 7.0+ shutout innings with no walks today:

Erick Fedde
Aaron Nola
Reese Olson
Chris Sale
Ryan Weathers

This is the first time in the modern era 5 different MLB starting pitchers have done that on the same day.

Starters to throw 7.0+ shutout innings with no walks today:

Erick Fedde
Aaron Nola
Reese Olson
Chris Sale
Ryan Weathers

This is the first time in the modern era 5 different MLB starting pitchers have done that on the same day.

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 15, 2024

Because of the increased hunt for velocity and the increased desire for elite spin rates, hitting has never been harder and it was just punctuated on Tuesday night.

Fedde, who signed this offseason after a stint in the Korean league, went 7.0 innings for the Chicago White Sox against the Washington Nationals. He gave up three hits, no walks and struck out six. He now has an ERA of 2.60 and could be a valuable trade chip for the last-place White Sox come July.

Nola went the distance in a 4-0 win for the Phillies over the New York Mets. He allowed just four hits and struck out eight.

Sale was dominant once again, going 7.0 innings in a Braves' win over the Chicago Cubs. The lefty allowed just two hits and no runs while striking out nine.

And finally, Weathers and Olson pitched against each other in a 1-0 Marlins win over the Detroit Tigers, which was historically quick because of the great pitching and lack of offense.

The league is likely quite happy that games are being played in faster pace, but they can't be thrilled about the loss of offense that contributes to those quicker games.

There were 30 teams effectively in action in Tuesday (one game PPD and the Nats-White Sox played a doubleheader) and 11 of those teams scored two runs or less.

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