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There have been 24 perfect games thrown in MLB history. No hits allowed, no walks, and no errors. Just 27 batters up and 27 batters down.
The most recent instance came in 2023 when Domingo German recorded a spotless start with the New York Yankees. That matchup came against the A’s and was the first time the organization had been no-hit in more than three decades.
German’s performance came 11 seasons after a 2012 campaign that saw three perfect games thrown. Two more were tossed in 2010.
Prior to that, the feats had been few and far between. But even more rare is a scenario in which a pitcher would’ve had a perfect game only to see it ruined by an error.
10 Times A Perfect Game Has Been Ruined By An Error
Below are 10 instances in which a pitcher posted a near-perfect stat line with no hits, no walks, and no hit batters. The lone blemish in the scorebook was a fielding error.
We’ll start with the most recent instance, which came in 2014.
Clayton Kershaw – Los Angeles Dodgers (2014)
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Kershaw threw his first career no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies on June 18, 2014, in Los Angeles. He struck out 15 batters across nine innings while throwing just 107 pitches.
The lone runner to reach base was Corey Dickerson thanks to a throwing error by shortstop Hanley Ramirez in the seventh frame. Kershaw would be able to overcome the mishap and record the next nine outs. The Dodgers won, 8-0.
Jonathan Sanchez – San Francisco Giants (2009)
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On July 10, 2009, San Francisco starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez completed a nine-inning no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. The lefty struck out 11 batters on 110 pitches.
An eighth-inning error by Juan Uribe allowed one San Deigo runner, Chase Headley, to get aboard. He’d later advance to second on a wild pitch but was unable to score. The Giants won, 8-0.
The no-hitter was easily Sanchez’s best performance of the year as he finished his campaign at 8-12 with a 4.24 ERA. It was the only complete game of his eight-year career.
Terry Mulholland – Philadelphia Phillies (1990)
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Terry Mulholland threw a complete game no-hitter with the Philadelphia Phillies on August 5, 1990. That performance came against the San Francisco Giants, his former team.
The pitcher recorded eight strikeouts. The only runner to reach base was Rick Parker, thanks to a Charlie Hayes error in the infield. Mulholland got the next batter to ground into a double play and still faced the minimum 27 hitters. The Phillies won, 6-0.
Jerry Reuss – Los Angeles Dodgers (1980)
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Reuss was nearly perfect against the San Francisco Giants on June 27, 1980. The Los Angeles ace had just two strikeouts but managed to successfully navigate the opposing lineup without surrendering a walk or hit.
Unfortunately, his defense let him down early. A first inning throwing error by Bill Russell ended his perfect game pursuit before it really started. He’d retire the next 25 batters to close out the ball game as the Dodgers won, 8-0.
10 Perfect Games Ruined By Error: Dick Bosman – Cleveland Indians (1974)
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Bosman pitched nine scoreless innings against the Oakland A’s on July 19, 1974. He struck out four Athletics hitters, allowing just one runner to reach base.
That baserunner got aboard in the fourth inning on a throwing error. Unfortunately, the pitcher had no one to blame but himself as it was his own errant throw that cost him a chance at history. He’d finish out the rest of the game in perfect fashion to win, 4-0.
Bill McCahan – Washington Senators (1947)
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McCahan was perfect during a September 3 matchup with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1947 – at least from the second inning on. The pitcher struck out two batters while outdueling Ray Scarborough, who also threw a complete game, in a 3-0 Washington win.
McCahan’s lone blemish came in the form of an error by Ferris Fain that allowed Stan Spence to reach base. Spence was the A’s fifth batter of the game. McCahan would retire the next 23 hitters.
The no-hitter was the highlight of McCahan’s four-year MLB career. He was demoted two years later thanks, in part, to an offseason job lifting 100-pound drums of oil which added body mass that negatively impacting his delivery.
Walter Johnson – Washington Senators (1920)
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Walter Johnson is one of the most accomplished pitchers in MLB history. The Hall of Famer nearly had a perfect game under his belt in 1920.
That July 1st, the righty struck out 10 Boston Red Sox batters to pick up a win over opposing ace Harry Harper, who tossed a one-run complete game.
Johnson got the no-hitter to win, 1-0. He was unable to get the perfect game due to a seventh-inning error by Bucky Harris.
Nap Rucker – Brooklyn Superbas (1908)
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On September 5, 1908, Brooklyn Superbas starting pitcher Nap Rucker threw a complete game no-hitter against the Boston Doves. He was forced to face 29 batters thanks to three defensive errors.
Rucker would keep those mishaps from doing damage in a 6-0 victory. Still, they cost him a chance at history.
The performance was one of a career-high 30 complete games the pitcher recorded in the 1908 season and one of six shutouts.
Christy Mathewson – New York Giants (1905)
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Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson won the Triple Crown in 1905, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts on the mound. One of his top performances of the season came on June 13th.
The ace threw nine scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts. He faced 28 batters while overcoming two fielding errors from his defense.
The errors, which occurred in the fourth and sixth innings, allowed the only Chicago Cubs baserunners of the game. The Giants would still win, 1-0, thanks to Mathewson’s efforts.
Max Scherzer – Washington Nationals (2015)
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On October 3, 2015, Max Scherzer threw his second no-hitter of the season. He missed out on a perfect game due to a fielding error in the sixth inning.
Scherzer finished the day with 17 strikeouts, no walks, no hit batters, and that lone baserunner. It was one of two near-misses he had on the season.
Earlier in the year, the Washington ace was down to his final strike before a 2-2 pitch hit Pirates pinch-hitter Jose Tabata to break the perfecto.