The Baltimore Orioles, since the year 1954, have thrown a total of 10 no-hitters, but in this piece, we won’t be discussing the no-hitters that occurred in the Major Leagues.
Since 2005, the Orioles’ affiliate teams have thrown a total of 19 no-hitters, from rookie ball all the way to Triple-A.
Let’s discuss the last five pitchers to throw a complete game no-hitter in the Orioles’ minor league system and see where their careers have gone.
MICHAEL BAUMANN: 2019 – DOUBLE-A BOWIE
While we have seen a good amount of combined no-hitters since 2019, Michael Baumann is the last pitcher to throw a complete game no-no in the Orioles’ system.
On July 16, 2019, Baumann went nine hitless innings against the Harrisburg Senators while facing future pros like Michael A. Taylor and Tres Barrera. Baumann threw 94 total pitches, walked just two batters and struck out 10.
The Orioles selected Baumann back in the 2017 MLB Draft with a third-round pick out of Jacksonville University. He made his major league debut on September 7, 2021, and spent four years in Baltimore, posting a 4.45 ERA in 94 games and 127.1 innings of work.
Baumann would be traded to the Seattle Mariners in June of 2024 and would go team hopping the rest of the season, having stints with the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels and Miami Marlins. The 29-year-old righty was released by the Marlins in December.
JOHN MEANS: 2015 – LOW-A DELMARVA
The next pitcher on the list is well known when it comes to no-hitters. On July 31,2015,left-hander John Means stepped up against the Charleston RiverDogs and pitched seven hitless innings in a 4-0 victory.
Means threw just 78 pitches, walked a single batter and struck out seven. Fun fact, Means actually faced his future Oriole teammate Jorge Mateo in this game.
Means was selected by the Orioles in the 11th round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of the University of West Virginia. He would make his MLB debut on September 26, 2018, and immediately became an organizational bright spot. The Olathe, KS, native would be the lone Oriole All-Star for the 2019 season and would finish second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Yordan Alvarez.
Means would spend seven years with the Orioles, compiling a 3.68 ERA, striking out 334 batters, pitching a total of 78 games, 73 of them as starts, in 401 innings of work. He’s the only guy on this list to pitch a no-hitter in the minors and majors, as on May 5, 2021, he would toss one against the Seattle Mariners.
Means, 31, dealt with numerous arm injuries and has only pitched 10 games between the years 2022-2024. He is currently a free agent.
EDDIE GAMBOA: 2013 – DOUBLE-A BOWIE
When researching for this article, I forget about a little key detail when it came to Eddie Gamboa. The dude threw a knuckleball. We love that.
Nonetheless, on June 30, 2013, Gamboa went up against the Harrisburg Senators and threw seven no-hit innings against future MLB players like Steven Souza Jr. and 2018 World Series Champion Sandy León, throwing 103 pitches, walking three and striking out five.
The Orioles selected Gamboa out of UC Davis in the 21st round of the 2008 MLB Draft, and he played seven years in the O’s system. The Merced, CA, native was signed by the Tampa Bay Rays in January of 2016 and would eventually make his big league debut on September 2 of that year. He pitched seven total games during the 2016 season, having a 1.35 ERA in 13.1 innings of work and striking out 11 batters.
The Rays would then trade Gamboa to the Texas Rangers in February of 2017, yet he wouldn’t make another MLB appearance, despite signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in June of 2017 and with the Orioles again in January of 2018. The now 40-year-old would have some international playing time in the Mexican League from 2019 til 2022 but has since retired.
CHRIS TILLMAN: 2010 – TRIPLE-A NORFOLK
Chris Tillman was the ace of the Orioles for a handful of years, but the fact that he threw a no-hitter after he made his MLB debut just makes this one even sweeter.
On April 28, 2010, Tillman went on the road against the Gwinnett Braves (now the Stripers) and pitched nine no-hit innings while facing off against former big leaguer Grégor Blanco and former NL MVP, World Series MVP and two-time World Series Champion, Freddie Freeman. Tillman threw 105 pitches, walked one batter and struck out six in the 6-0 victory.
The Anaheim, CA, product was originally chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the second round of the 2006 MLB Draft out of Fountain Hills High School. He would be a part of the Adam Jones for Erik Bedard deal that happened in February of 2008 and would make his big league debut with the Orioles on July 29, 2009.
Tillman pitched a total of 10 years with the Birds and pitched a total of 210 games with 205 of them being starts. He carried a 4.57 ERA, struck out 847 batters and tossed a total of 1,145 innings of work. The 36-year-old was an All-Star in 2013 and hasn’t pitched professionally since 2018.
RADHAMES LIZ: 2007 – DOUBLE-A BOWIE
The final pitcher for this list is a name that most haven’t heard in reference to the Orioles in over 15 years. On June 1, 2007, Radhames Liz would throw a nine-inning no-hitter against the, you guessed it, Harrisburg Senators, walking three and striking out eight.
Liz was signed as an international free agent by the Orioles in 2003 and made his major league debut on August 25, 2007, just two months after his no-no in Bowie. He would spend just three major league seasons with the Orioles, pitching in 28 games, including 21 starts, and posting a 6.94 ERA in 110.1 innings of work. He struck out 82 batters, walked 76 and gave up 20 home runs with the O’s.
Liz would be bounced around the league, going from San Diego to Toronto before he got another big league shot. The Pittsburgh Pirates gave Liz a shot in 2015; 14 games as a reliever, when he had a 4.24 ERA in 23.1 innings of work.
The Dominican native was last seen in the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers back in 2017 but is still pitching today in the Mexican league at the wonderful age of 40.
What are your thoughts on these no-hit performances? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like Zack’s content? Follow him on X – @Zackattack8211 and @OsMilbUpdates for all the latest news and updates on the O’s farm system!
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment