<P> Over the 140 years of Major League Baseball history, and over 210,000 games played, there have been 23 official perfect games by the current definition . No pitcher has ever thrown more than one . The perfect game thrown by Don Larsen in game 5 of the 1956 World Series is the only postseason perfect game in major league history and one of only two postseason no - hitters . The first two major league perfect games, and the only two of the premodern era, were thrown in 1880, five days apart . The most recent perfect game was thrown on August 15, 2012, by Félix Hernández of the Seattle Mariners . There were three perfect games in 2012; the only other year of the modern era in which as many as two were thrown was 2010 . By contrast, there have been spans of 23 and 33 consecutive seasons in which not a single perfect game was thrown . Though two perfect - game bids have gone into extra innings, no extra-inning game has ever been completed to perfection . </P> <P> The first two pitchers to accomplish the feat did so under rules that differed in many important respects from those of today's game: in 1880, for example, only underhand pitching--from a flat, marked - out box 45 feet from home plate--was allowed, it took eight balls to draw a walk, and a batter was not awarded first base if hit by a pitch . Lee Richmond, a left - handed pitcher for the Worcester Ruby Legs, threw the first perfect game . He played professional baseball for six years and pitched full - time for only three, finishing with a losing record . The second perfect game was thrown by John Montgomery Ward for the Providence Grays . Ward, an excellent pitcher who became an excellent position player, went on to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame . </P>

How many perfect games have been pitched in major league baseball history