How Many Perfect Games Have There Been In Baseball?

There have been 23 perfect games in baseball history. A perfect game is defined as a game in which a pitcher throws nine innings without allowing a baserunner.

Introduction

A perfect game in baseball is one of the rarest feats that can be accomplished on the diamond. In a perfect game, a pitcher throws nine innings without giving up a hit, walk, or hit by pitch, and no errors are committed by his team. In other words, 27 batters come to the plate and 27 are retired without a baserunner reaching base.

Since 1876, when the first professional baseball league was founded, there have been only 23 perfect games pitched in the major leagues. That means that in over 140 years of professional baseball, there have been an average of just over one perfect game every six years. In comparison, there have been nearly 300 no-hitters thrown in that same time period.

The first perfect game in major league history was thrown by Lee Richmond of the Worcester Ruby Legs on June 12, 1880. The most recent was thrown by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay on May 29, 2010. The first perfect game pitched in the modern era (post-1900) was thrown by Cy Young of the Boston Americans on May 5, 1904.

Of the 23 perfect games in major league history, 14 have been pitched since 1900. Seven were pitched in the 20th century before 2000, and since then there have been six more—an average of one every other year. The longest period without a perfect game was from 1965 to 1981—a span of 16 seasons between Sandy Koufax’s perfect game for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965 and Len Barker’s for the Cleveland Indians in 1981.

What is a perfect game?

A perfect game in baseball is defined by three things: that no opposing player reach first base, that no errors are made by the defensive team, and that no pitcher is removed from the game due to injury or ineffectiveness. If these three things are all true at the end of a game, it is considered a perfect game.

As of 2019, there have been 23 perfect games in Major League Baseball history. The first perfect game was thrown by Cy Young in 1904, and the most recent was thrown by Félix Hernández in 2012. The teams with the most perfect games are the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox, who each have four.

How many perfect games have there been in baseball?

There have only been 23 perfect games in the history of Major League Baseball. A perfect game is defined as a game in which no batter reaches first base. In a perfect game, all 27 batters are retired in order.

The first perfect game was pitched by Cy Young on May 5, 1904. The most recent perfect game was pitched by Felix Hernandez on August 15, 2012. There have been three perfect games pitched in postseason play. The first was pitched by Don Larsen in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. The second was pitched by Sandy Koufax in Game 1 of the 1965 World Series. The third was pitched by Roy Halladay in Game 1 of the 2010 National League Division Series.

Who has thrown a perfect game in baseball?

There have been 23 perfect games in baseball history, involving 22 different pitchers. The first perfect game was thrown by Cy Young on May 5, 1904, and the most recent one was thrown by Felix Hernandez on August 15, 2012. Of the 23 perfect games, 3 have been thrown in postseason play and 2 have been thrown in regular season play by the same pitcher (Jim Bunning and Sandy Koufax).

What is the most recent perfect game in baseball?

On August 15, 2012, New York Yankees pitcher, Phillip Humber, threw a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners. This was the 21st perfect game in baseball history.

Conclusion

When a pitcher throws a perfect game, it’s a remarkable achievement. It’s so difficult, in fact, that it’s only been done 23 times in the history of Major League Baseball. While there have been other instances of a pitcher retiring all 27 batters he faced in a game (including one postseason game), those 23 games are the only ones that qualify as true perfect games.