SB Nation Reacts: Confidence in the Cubs is low, and thoughts about no-hitters

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Each week, we send out questions to the most plugged-in Chicago Cubs fans, and fans across the country. Sign up here to join Reacts.

According to the most recent SB Nation Reacts survey, just eight percent of Cubs fans are confident the team is headed in the right direction. That’s down from 13 percent last week. Hopefully the team’s performance this week will make that number go back up.

For any team to find success they need to have faith in their pitching staff. Fewer than a quarter of Cubs fans said they are confident in the team’s pitchers. (Maybe that’s changed after Tuesday’s pitching performances.)

Already this year there have been some exceptional pitching performances around the league. In the timespan of less than a week, two no-hitters were thrown. They were the 306th and 307th no-hitters thrown in MLB history and the seventh and eighth since the start of the 2019 season.

Despite having that many no-nos in recent years, a vast majority of MLB fans believe a pitching a no-hitter is still a historic accomplishment.

In both Joe Musgrove’s gem for the San Diego Padres and Carlos Rodón’s for the Chicago White Sox, only one runner reached base. In both instances the lone man on base reached after getting hit by a pitch.

According to fans nationally, allowing someone to reach by HBP in a no-hitter is the least acceptable way to get a runner on base. 40 percent of fans said the most acceptable way to allow someone to reach was by an error, while 30 percent said a walk.

While the two most recent performances only saw one runner reach, some pitchers have completed the milestone despite allowing multiple runners on throughout the game.

However, a plurality of fans, 39 percent, don’t believe a no-hitter is diminished unless a pitcher allows at least five hitters to get to first. 26 percent of fans think the accomplishment is lessened after only a second runner gets on. Personally, I think it really doesn’t matter if a few runners get on base in a no-hitter... it’s still a no-hitter. Yes, even Edwin Jackson’s in 2010... when he issued eight walks and hit a batter.

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