Jake Arrieta threw baseball’s first no-hitter of 2016 last night in a 16-0 Cubs win over the Reds. It was a historic night for last year’s N.L. Cy Young Award winner, who threw his second no-hitter in eight months.
While Arrieta may have no trouble blanking batters, it’s a pretty rare feat for just about everyone else. There have been 252 no-hitters in the majors since 1901, an average of just over two per season and it’s relative scarcity makes it one of sports’ most prestigious individual accomplishments.
But that doesn’t mean that other sports don’t have single-game feats that are about as rare—or impressive—as a no-hitter. What is the equivalent of a no-hitter in other sports, you might ask? Well, these...
NFL: Five TD Passes
NBA: 55-Point Games
In terms of frequency, this one is probably the most equitable—and impressive—as a no-hitter. There have been 154 55-point games in NBA history, which much like a no-hitter, also translates to about two per season. There were three 55-point games in the NBA this season: DeMarcus Cousins scored 56 against the Hornets in January, Anthony Davis scored 59 against the Pistons in February, and most notably, Kobe Bryant scored 60 against the Jazz last week.