How Many Perfect Games Have Been Thrown in MLB History?

Accomplishing a perfect game in baseball proved to be one of the most challenging tasks ever. Although throwing a perfect game cannot promise a win or a shutout, it can influence odds to one’s favor, allowing a player to hinder all 27 batters.

Believe it or not, there are great men in baseball history who were able to throw perfect games during their time, which leads us to the question: “How many perfect games have been thrown in MLB history?”

Perfect Games in MLB History

There have been a total of twenty-three (23) perfect games thrown in MLB history. The gaps between some of these events range from a year to a decade. And the record of the perfect games began during the 1880s.

Perfect games happen very rarely in major league baseball. Thus, a pitcher winning a perfect game in baseball proves to be a very excellent record.

The teams with the highest number of perfect games thrown in MLB history are the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox. Both teams have thrown a total of three (3) perfect games.

What Is a Perfect Game in Baseball

A perfect game in major league baseball is a game thrown by pitchers in nine innings or more that prevents the batter from reaching base.

What makes a perfect game an arduous effort and a rare achievement is that it requires effort from many players against the rival team.

A perfect game can only be achieved if a team, with its pitchers, ensures that no player reaches a base through any of the events: uncaught third strikes, interference by the catcher or fielder, hits, base on balls, hit batsmen, or any other fielding error.

In short, it demands a clean nine-inning game against a competitor. That is how a team accomplishes a perfect game!

Some Facts on Players Who Threw Perfect Games in MLB History

To arrive at a more contextual way of understanding and experiencing a perfect game, let us look into it based on the performances of some top pitchers who were instrumental in the total 23 number of perfect games in major league baseball history (not in order):

It seems that the year of 2010 was the best season for him because it was during this year that he earned a total of nine complete games, one-walk and no-hitter versus the Reds, twenty-one MLB total wins, a ratio record of 7.3 strikeout-to-walk, four shutouts, and more.

Throughout his career, he won in total two Cy Young awards.

He threw the 20th perfect game in MLB history.

And which season did he shine the brightest? The 2012 season, of course. It was a momentous time for him because Hernadez threw a perfect game that year and still remains as the last man to achieve the task.

But even before this feat, he had already won the AL Cy Young Award two years prior. In other words, the perfect game and twelve strikeouts obtained during the 2012 season only further cemented​​ the given honor.

He threw the 23rd perfect game in MLB history.

Throwing a perfect game at forty years old makes him the oldest pitcher in the MLB record to secure a perfect game! Moreover, said achievement added to the list of perfect games in MLB history.

But the hurrahs do not simply end there for this achievement by Johnson, as it marks the first time the Diamondbacks earned a no-hitter as well.

Cain’s perfect game was more than a sophisticated attempt. De-powering all fourteen batters in a complete game, Cain earned a total of 14 spectacular strikeouts, which is one of the biggest strikeouts since Koufax’s 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers feat.

This turning point for Cain’s career was also the time he shattered his own record of 12 strikeouts in 2006. The 2012 season only further testified to Cain’s remarkable ability.

Other top pitchers who threw perfect games:

Conclusion

The answer to “how many perfect games have been thrown in MLB history” is “twenty-three” (23). That has been the total figure to date, as per MLB historians and statisticians.

The names that were instrumental to these perfect game records included the likes of Cy Young, Matt Cain, Felix Hernandez, Charlie Roberston, and many others.

Achieving a perfect game is a rare event in major league baseball because perfect games are too challenging to pull off. But with these winners, the feats became possible.

You may also be interested in some of our articles on MLB history:

• The Longest Winning Streaks in MLB History
• MLB Teams That Have Never Won the World Series

Andrew Coatess

A powerful swing and the ball is flying across the field, just one hit, and we might never forget the thrill it brings. I do not know about you, but I never do. Every baseball game is the chance to compete with others and cooperate with your teammate. It is among my biggest passions.