Let’s play a game of fill in the blank: the most unhittable pitcher in the Minors this summer was … ?
You may have said Jonah Tong or Trey Yesavage or Jarlin Susana. And all of those Top 100 prospects were downright nasty. But the correct answer is actually Triple-A Indianapolis righty Brandan Bidois.
Yes, Brandan Bidois. A 24-year-old Australia native, the unranked Bidois may be flying under the radar -- or in the middle of bursting onto the scene. Either way, he turned in a ridiculous streak that’s worthy of attention.
More from MLB Pipeline:
• Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage
Bidois didn't allowed a hit from July 29 until Sept. 14 -- a full month and a half. In that time, he twirled 18 entirely hitless innings across 11 relief appearances – each between three and six outs.
He faced 64 batters in that stretch without allowing a single knock, a streak that came to an end on the second pitch he threw on Sunday, when Iowa's Caleb Knight laced a letter-high fastball into left field for a base hit. Bidois promptly rolled a double-play ball and struck out the next batter to register his 12th consecutive scoreless appearance.
For context, the MLB record for consecutive hitless innings is 24 by Cy Young back in 1904. In the modern era, only one pitcher has logged a longer hitless innings streak in MLB, and that’s Dennis Eckersley’s 21 in 1977. Five other pitchers in the modern era, including Max Scherzer (2015) and Nolan Ryan (1977), have had runs of 16 innings. Aroldis Chapman rode a 14 2/3-inning hitless run from July 26-Sept. 7 in which the Red Sox reliever didn't allow a hit to 50 consecutive batters (though he issued four walks in that span).
Bidois has been in the Pirates system since 2021 and pitched across four levels this season, making his past five appearances at Triple-A. He did post a 1.99 ERA across 22 2/3 innings at Single-A in 2023. But this has been far and away a career year for the right-hander, as he’s pitching to a 0.77 ERA in 58 2/3 innings across 38 appearances. He also sports an .820 WHIP, 68 strikeouts, six saves, seven holds and an 8-0 record.
Even though the streak has ended, it was an unhittably unforgettable run for Bidois.