No-Hitter vs. Perfect Game: What Is the Difference?

New York Yankees right-hander Don Larsen delivers a pitch in the fourth inning of Game 5 of the World Series Oct. 8, 1956 en route to the first World Series perfect game. The Yankees won 2-0 and went on to win the series.
(AP Photo)
  • A perfect game is one of the rarest achievements in baseball.
  • There have been three no-hitters in postseason history.
  • There have been 24 perfect games in MLB history.

Pitching a no-hitter is special, but completing a perfect game is another level altogether. It is a feat that has been incredibly rare throughout the history of baseball, comparable to a player hitting four homers in a single game and rarer than a player recording six hits in a game. 

Seeing a no-hitter or perfect game in person is the kind of event fans will never forget.

No-Hitter vs. Perfect Game: What Is the Difference?

A no-hitter is when a team does not allow a hit throughout a full nine-inning game. A perfect game is a rare type of no-hitter in which the team/pitcher does not allow a single base runner. 

For a game to be classified as a no-hitter, the pitcher(s) can still concede base runners by catcher’s interference, walks, hitting batters, and other means. Pitching a perfect game means none of the 27 hitters faced have made it to first base. 

How Rare Is a Perfect Game?

There have been 24 perfect games in MLB history. Over 238,000 games have been played in Major League Baseball. Between 1922 and 1956, there was not a single perfect game pitched in MLB. 

If a sportsbook with MLB odds made it possible to bet on the chance of a perfect game, the price would be very, very long. There were just seven perfectos from 1881 to 1980. While they have become more common in the 21st century with the elite stuff pitchers have at their disposal, there was still a gap of almost 11 years between the 23rd and 24th perfect games after three were pitched in 2012. 

How Can a No-Hitter Not Be a Perfect Game?

A no-hitter is not a perfect game if the pitcher(s) do not allow a hit but concede base runners by other means. Errors, walks, and being hit by pitches are the most common non-hit ways for batters to reach base. They can also get on base via a fielder’s choice, catcher’s interference, or a dropped third strike. 

Teams can still concede runs while pitching a no-hitter. 

Anyone Thrown a No-Hitter on Opening Day?

Yes, two players have thrown no-hitters on opening day. 

Bob Feller was the first player in MLB history to throw an opening-day no-no. Feller struck out eight Chicago White Sox in 1940, along with five walks. A Hall of Famer and eight-time All-Star, Feller was one of the best pitchers of his generation – he would have been a regular Cy Young favourite in baseball odds if the award had existed during his peak.

Six years later, Leon Day of the Newark Stars no-hit the Philadelphia Stars on the first day of the Negro National League season. Since the Negro League’s records and statistics were added to the MLB record books, Day is the second and most recent pitcher to throw a no-hitter on opening day. 

Has Anyone Thrown a No-Hitter in the Playoffs?

Yes, there have been three no-hitters in the playoffs.

Don Larsen threw the first in 1956 with a perfect game in Game 5 of the World Series. Roy Halladay recorded the second in 2010, just months after a perfect game in the regular season. It was Halladay’s postseason debut, which came over a decade after his first MLB appearance. 

The most recent playoff no-hitter was the first combined no-no in playoff history. Started off by six no-hit innings from Cristian Javier, the Houston Astros no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series. Javier was followed by Rafael Montero, Bryan Abreu, and Ryan Pressly. It was also the second combined no-hitter Javier had started that year.

The Astros were underdogs in the online sports betting markets when they trailed the Phils 2-1 going into Game 4, but that spectacular pitching performance powered a turnaround. They went on to win the series in six games, wrapping up a second title in six years. 

Two of the three no-hitters in postseason history were pitched at Citizens Bank Park. Dusty Baker was also involved in both, as the winning manager in 2022 and the losing one in 2010.

Has Anyone Thrown a No-Hitter in the World Series?

Yes, there have been two no-hitters thrown in World Series history. 

The first was by Don Larsen for the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 Fall Classic. The Houston Astros combined for the second against the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022. Both the Yankees and Astros went on to win the World Series. 

Larsen shut down a Dodgers lineup featuring Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, and other all-time greats. Houston held a powerful lineup hitless, which included Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and J.T. Realmuto.

Years before Larsen and decades before the Astros’ joint effort, New York Yankees starter Bill Bevens came within an out of recording the first World Series no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Bevens, who set a postseason record for 10 walks in a start, had just one clean inning, but he made it to the ninth with no hits allowed. 

It was a veteran pinch-hitter in Cookie Lavagetto who stole Bevens’ chance of history after getting his bat to a high and away pitch for a double. 

About the Author

Sam Cox

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Sam Cox is a freelance content writer for BetMGM. He can regularly be found on 888Sport and Betting Expert and has previously written for Sports Betting Dime, OddsChecker, and numerous others. Sam also runs Franchise Sports and has over a decade of experience in the gambling industry.

Sam Cox is a freelance content writer for BetMGM. He can regularly be found on 888Sport and Betting Expert and has previously written for Sports Betting Dime, OddsChecker, and numerous others. Sam also runs Franchise Sports and has over a decade of experience in the gambling industry.