Some years there are more 7.0 quakes than others, 2011 is a good example, that was also a year where there were a few 8.0+ quakes.
Yup, I was way wrong about the "usually aren't more than two or three 7.0s a
year." These are my notes for 7.0-or-greater earthquakes over the last ten years and 2023 so far (of course, I may have missed some).
2023 so far (including today's 7.1) - ten 7.0-or-greater, no 8.0-or-greater
2022 - ten 7.0-or-greater, no 8.0-or-greater
2021 - fifteen 7.0-or-greater, three 8.0-or-greater
2020 - eight 7.0-or-greater, no 8.0-or-greater
2019 - nine 7.0-or-greater, one 8.0-or-greater
2018 - sixteen 7.0-or-greater, one 8.0-or-greater
2017 - six 7.0-or greater, one 8.0-or-greater
2016 - seventeen 7.0-or-greater, no 8.0-or-greater
2015 - nineteen 7.0-or-greater, one 8.0-or-greater
2014 - eleven 7.0-or-greater, one 8.0-or-greater
2013 - twenty-eight 7.0-or-greater, two 8.0-or-greater
Here's the distribution that I was thinking about (and got wrong):