What Is a Perfect Game in MLB
A perfect game is a complete game in which no opposing player reaches base by any means, including hits, walks, errors, hit by pitch, or interference. The official scorer must credit the pitcher with zero baserunners across all nine innings, and the pitcher must finish the game without leaving the mound for an extended period that would break the official record. MLB recognizes this as one of the rarest achievements in professional sports, with each perfect game adding to the official record books and often triggering immediate media coverage and historical ranking updates.
MLB defines a perfect game under its official scoring rules, which require that every batter faced is retired in order across all nine innings. The pitcher must be credited with the win, and the game must be completed without any baserunner reaching via any method, including uncaught third strikes or fielder choices that still allow a runner to advance safely. The rarity is underscored by the fact that MLB has recorded only a handful of perfect games across its entire modern history, making each occurrence a notable statistical milestone tracked by the league and major sports data providers.
List of MLB Perfect Games and Pitchers
As of the latest publicly available MLB records, the list of perfect games includes performances by pitchers such as Don Larsen, Jim Bunning, Dennis Martínez, David Cone, Randy Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Dallas Braden, Roy Halladay, Philip Humber, Matt Cain, and others in the official MLB record books. Each entry includes the date, opposing team, final score, and number of strikeouts, with the most recent perfect games often updating the league's historical rankings and record summaries on MLB.com and partner data sites.
The most recent perfect game in MLB history was thrown by a pitcher in the modern era, with the official MLB record and Elias Sports Bureau confirming the date, opponent, and final score. MLB.com maintains a continuously updated perfect game list that includes box score details, pitch counts, and play-by-play summaries, allowing fans and analysts to verify every out and baserunner situation in accordance with the league's official scoring guidelines.
Key Stats and Records
Perfect games are measured by key stats including innings pitched, strikeouts, pitches thrown, and game score, with the highest game scores often associated with dominant performances. MLB's official records track the longest gaps between perfect games, the youngest and oldest pitchers to achieve the feat, and the teams that have been on the losing side of a perfect game, with these data points frequently cited in league reports and historical analyses.
Notable Milestones
Notable milestones include the first perfect game in the modern era, perfect games thrown in postseason play, and perfect games that occurred in the same season or same calendar year. MLB and its official statistical partners update these milestones as new perfect games are recorded, and the league's historical timeline often highlights these achievements alongside no-hitters and other rare pitching feats.
How Perfect Games Compare to Other Rare Pitching Feats
Perfect games differ from no-hitters because a no-hitter can still allow baserunners via walks, errors, or hit by pitch, while a perfect game requires zero baserunners of any kind. MLB's official definitions distinguish perfect games from near-perfect performances such as combined no-hitters and immaculate innings, with the league's record books and statistical databases providing side-by-side comparisons of these rare achievements.
Compared to other rare feats like a perfect game followed immediately by another perfect game in the same franchise or league, the overall frequency of perfect games remains extremely low. Analysts and official MLB sources often compare perfect game rates to other milestones such as no-hitters, cycles, and 300-strikeout seasons, using the