MLB
Who is Ronel Blanco, the Houston pitcher who threw the first no-hitter in MLB 2024?
30-year-old Blanco turned in the Astros franchise’s 17th no-hitter in the team’s victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dominican pitcher Ronel Blanco emulated what his compatriot Framber Valdez achieved in August 2023, a feat the Houston Astros hadn’t accomplished since that time. The 30-year-old pitcher joined the starting rotation following injuries to Justin Verlander and José Urquidy and delivered in spectacular fashion.
In just his eighth MLB start, Ronel tallied seven strikeouts and issued only two walks over nine innings. Furthermore, Houston’s batting lineup joined the celebration, thoroughly outplaying Toronto with a final score of 10-0.
Ronel becomes the tenth Dominican pitcher to achieve a no-hitter game. With this outcome, the Astros secured their first victory of the season after being swept by the Yankees in the opening series.
This latest one now has Houston with 17 no-hitters, the most of any team in MLB.
Who is Ronel Blanco?
Born on 31 August 1993, in Santiago, Dominican Republic, Ronel signed as a free agent with the Astros in 2016. It wasn’t until 2022 that he made his debut in the Major Leagues. He got his first opportunity as a starter in June 2023 in a victory over the Los Angeles Angels. This April 1st, Blanco etched his name in both franchise and Major League Baseball history by pitching a perfect game, retiring all 27 outs in the Houston versus Toronto matchup.