The last perfect game in Major League Baseball belongs to Domingo Germán of the New York Yankees. On June 28, 2023, the right-hander retired all 27 batters he faced in a 4-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics, making him the 24th pitcher in history to achieve the feat and the most recent to do so.
The Definition and Rarity of a Perfect Game
A perfect game is the ultimate pitching achievement in baseball, defined by the official rules as a game in which no opposing player reaches base by any means. This includes hits, walks, hit-by-pitches, errors, or any other method of reaching base. Because it requires 27 consecutive outs with no blemish, the feat is extraordinarily rare. The nearly 150-year history of Major League Baseball has seen only 24 perfect games, averaging less than one every two years, highlighting the immense difficulty involved.
Domingo Germán's Perfect Game
Domingo Germán’s performance on June 28, 2023, at Yankee Stadium is the most recent perfect game. Facing the Oakland Athletics, Germán retired the side in order in the first inning and continued to dominate throughout the game. He struck out seven batters while inducing weak contact and groundouts from the rest, securing the spotless performance in a 4-0 victory. This achievement made him the first player of Dominican Republic descent to throw a perfect game in MLB history.
The Historical Context of the 24th Perfect Game
Prior to Germán, the most recent perfect game was thrown by Félix Hernández of the Seattle Mariners against the Tampa Bay Rays on August 15, 2012. Before Hernández, there was a drought of over 20 years without a perfect game, following Tom Browning’s 1988 masterpiece. Germán’s 2023 gem broke this pattern of long gaps, reminding fans and analysts that while rare, the perfect game is still achievable in the modern era of baseball.
Key Facts and Comparisons
To fully appreciate the rarity of the perfect game achieved in 2023, it helps to look at the data. Of the 24 perfect games in MLB history, nearly half have occurred in the 21st century, suggesting that better training, advanced analytics, and improved pitching velocity have not necessarily made the feat easier, but perhaps more attainable due to the depth of talent. The table below outlines the pitchers and dates of the 10 most recent perfect games.
