In the history of Major League Baseball, throwing a perfect game is one of the most impressive and rare accomplishments a pitcher can achieve. A perfect game occurs when a pitcher retires all 27 batters he faces without allowing a single baserunner. Given the difficulty of throwing even one perfect game, it's remarkable that any pitcher in MLB history has managed to throw two.
So does any pitcher actually have 2 perfect games on their resume? The short answer is no. No pitcher has ever thrown multiple perfect games over the course of their career. Throwing two perfect games is a feat that has eluded even some of the all-time great hurlers in baseball history.
Perfect games
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher (or pitchers) retires all 27 opposing batters without any baserunners. This means the opposing team does not reach base by a hit, walk, error, hit by pitch or any other means. The feat has only been officially accomplished 23 times in MLB history, making it one of the rarest accomplishments in all of sports.
The first recognized perfect game occurred on June 12, 1880 when Lee Richmond of the Worcester Ruby Legs blanked the Cleveland Blues. However, the current parameters for recording a perfect game were not established until the early 20th century. Since the modern era, there have been 23 official perfect games.
Pitching a perfect game requires an incredible combination of skill, focus, stamina, and luck. The pitcher must have pinpoint command and overpowering stuff to keep opposing batters off balance. One small mistake, like a walk or hit batsman, immediately ruins the bid for perfection. Contending with fatigue also makes the challenge exponentially harder as the game goes on.
Due to the difficulty, there have been long gaps between MLB's official perfect games. For example, between 1968 and 1981 there were no perfect games tossed. The gaps showcase just how hard it is for pitchers to put together a flawless performance even once.
AAGPBL
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league that operated from 1943 to 1954. During the league's 12 year existence, no pitcher ever threw multiple perfect games.
In fact, there is no evidence any pitcher in AAGPBL history ever achieved a perfect game. Records are incomplete from the era, but available data does not indicate any perfect games occurred.
Considering the high level of play demonstrated by AAGPBL players, it is within the realm of possibility that someone tossed a perfect game. However, there are no known occurrences of any player recording two perfect outings. The lack of multiple perfect games is consistent with MLB records of the era.
Has any pitcher had 2 perfect games?
In over 150 years of Major League Baseball since the first professional league began in 1871, no pitcher has ever thrown two perfect games over the course of a career. It is an astounding baseball fact considering some of the all-time great hurlers who have played the game.
Pitching legends like Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Cy Young, and Randy Johnson all threw at least one perfect game but could not replicate the feat a second time. It is evidence of just how difficult it is to record a perfect game even once, let alone twice. Koufax came the closest, throwing his first perfect game in 1965 and then tossing a no-hitter in his very next start. But no one has put together two flawless games.
In theory, it is possible for a pitcher to throw two or more perfect games. But the odds are incredibly low due to the requirement for near flawless performance across 27 batters on multiple occasions. Records have become more accurate over time, making it unlikely any previous pitcher achieved the milestone without it being properly recorded.
So while the possibility exists, no pitcher in MLB history has reached the mountaintop of hurling two perfect games. It remains one of the few untouched records in baseball.
How many pitchers have multiple perfect games?
In the entire history of Major League Baseball since 1876, no pitcher has ever thrown more than one perfect game. Despite over 130 years of baseball and thousands of pitchers, one perfect game has remained the ceiling for every player.
The lack of any pitcher recording multiple perfect games illustrates just how difficult and rare the achievement is in baseball. Some all-time greats like Sandy Koufax, Cy Young, and Nolan Ryan all threw perfect games but could not reach the milestone a second time in their careers.
Here is a summary of the multiple perfect game data:
- Pitchers with 2 perfect games: 0
- Pitchers with 3 perfect games: 0
- Pitchers with 4 perfect games: 0
- Pitchers with 5+ perfect games: 0
In total, there have been only 23 official perfect games in MLB history. With over 200,000 games played across 150 years, that equals about 1 perfect game per 8,700 contests on average.
Considering the rate of perfection, it's no surprise no one has doubled up. Throwing two perfect games essentially requires back-to-back miracles. While not theoretically impossible, the stars have never aligned for the same pitcher twice...yet.
MLB’s Perfect Games
Throughout the century and a half history of Major League Baseball, there have been 23 official perfect games pitched. The New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox are the two franchises with the most perfect games thrown by their pitchers with 3 apiece.
Here is the complete list of all 23 perfect games in chronological order:
- Lee Richmond, Worcester Ruby Legs, 6/12/1880
- John Montgomery Ward, Providence Grays, 6/17/1880
- Cy Young, Boston Americans, 5/5/1904
- Addie Joss, Cleveland Naps, 10/2/1908
- Charlie Robertson, Chicago White Sox, 4/30/1922
- Don Larsen, New York Yankees, 10/8/1956
- Jim Bunning, Philadelphia Phillies, 6/21/1964
- Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers, 9/9/1965
- Catfish Hunter, Oakland A’s, 5/8/1968
- Len Barker, Cleveland Indians, 5/15/1981
- Mike Witt, California Angels, 9/30/1984
- Tom Browning, Cincinnati Reds, 9/16/1988
- Dennis Martinez, Montreal Expos, 7/28/1991
- Kenny Rogers, Texas Rangers, 7/28/1994
- David Wells, New York Yankees, 5/17/1998
- David Cone, New York Yankees, 7/18/1999
- Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks, 5/18/2004
- Mark Buehrle, Chicago White Sox, 7/23/2009
- Dallas Braden, Oakland Athletics, 5/9/2010
- Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies, 5/29/2010
- Philip Humber, Chicago White Sox, 4/21/2012
- Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants, 6/13/2012
- Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners, 8/15/2012
Despite franchises like the Yankees, White Sox and Indians having multiple perfect games, no single pitcher has ever recorded two perfect games across their career.
No Player Has Ever Recorded More Than One
In over 140 years of Major League Baseball since the first recognized perfect game in 1880, no pitcher has ever recorded more than one perfect game over the course of their playing career.
It is an incredible baseball fact considering the thousands of men who have pitched at the MLB level across eras where multiple perfect games have occurred. Power pitchers like Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson and Cy Young all tossed perfect games but could never achieve the feat twice.
The difficulty of completing a full perfect game even once illustrates why no player has doubled up. A pitcher must have world class command, stuff, stamina and luck to retire 27 straight batters without allowing any baserunners by hit, walk or error. Tiny margins or momentary lapses in focus can immediately end a perfect game pursuit.
Given those challenges, it's no surprise that the 23 official perfect games in history have been recorded by 23 different pitchers. Other rare feats like hitting for the cycle or throwing a no-hitter have been accomplished by the same player on multiple occasions. So while not impossible, throwing two perfect games has remained out of reach over nearly 150 years of MLB play. For now, one perfect game sits atop the mountain as the pinnacle achievement for any pitcher.
Yankees And White Sox Are Tied For The Most With Three apiece
When it comes to perfect games, two Major League Baseball franchises stand above the rest - the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox are tied for the most perfect games thrown by their pitchers with 3 apiece.
Here are the three pitcher from each franchise who have recorded perfect games:
New York Yankees
- Don Larsen: 10/8/1956 (World Series)
- David Wells: 5/17/1998
- David Cone: 7/18/1999
Chicago White Sox
- Charlie Robertson: 4/30/1922
- Mark Buehrle: 7/23/2009
- Philip Humber: 4/21/2012
All other teams have two or fewer perfect games. The Dodgers, Giants, Athletics, Indians, and Phillies each have two. All other franchises have one or zero.
The Yankees and White Sox both having three perfect games showcases the elite pitching that has passed through each organization. It is unlikely their shared record will be broken anytime soon, as perfect games remain incredibly rare. There were none from 1999 until Buehrle's in 2009 for Chicago.
No pitcher on either team has more than one perfect game. While an individual recording two perfect games has never happened in MLB history, the Yankees and White Sox both have the pitching pedigree to potentially achieve the feat one day. For now, three perfect games each stands as the high mark.
Conclusion
In summary, no pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball has ever recorded two perfect games over their career. The feat has eluded even some of the most dominant pitchers and talented teams.
- 23 pitchers have thrown 23 official perfect games, but no player has two
- Franchises like the Yankees and White Sox have three perfect games from different pitchers
- Throwing one perfect game is so difficult, doing it twice has remained out of reach after nearly 150 MLB seasons
While theoretically possible, pitching two perfect games requires back-to-back miraculous performances under intense pressure. It remains a untouched record for over a century, further highlighting the unique skill and luck required. But with each new perfect game, hope remains that one pitcher may someday enter the record books with two perfectos. It would be an all-time MLB pitching achievement for the ages.
