In baseball, a perfect game is one of the rarest and most prestigious accomplishments a pitcher can achieve. To throw a perfect game, a pitcher must retire all 27 opposing batters in order without allowing any baserunners. It requires impeccable control, focus, and a bit of luck. Since the beginning of Major League Baseball in 1876, there have only been 23 official perfect games. Yet there are a few even rarer pitching feats that have only happened once or twice in MLB history.
The Unassisted Triple Play
An unassisted triple play is when a single fielder makes all three outs by himself in one continuous play without his teammates’ assistance. This is one of the rarest occurrences in baseball, having only happened 15 times in MLB history. The triple play requires perfect positioning and reflexes to receive a hit ball, tag a runner, and then chase down another baserunner. Given that three opposing players need to be in the exactly wrong places at the wrong time, it’s no surprise unassisted triple plays are so uncommon. The last MLB unassisted triple play happened in 2009.
Striking Out Four Batters in One Inning
Pitchers face a strict limit of three outs per inning. But in very rare cases, a fourth strikeout can occur when the third strike is a wild pitch or passed ball that allows the batter to reach first base safely. Only six pitchers have ever recorded four strikeouts in one inning, with the last instance happening in 2012 by Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Juan Perez.
Striking Out the Side on Nine Pitches
When a pitcher strikes out three batters consecutively, it’s referred to as striking out the side. Doing it on just nine total pitches is exceptionally rare. To accomplish the feat, a pitcher needs to throw nothing but strikes while the hitters fail to make any contact at all. Only 72 occurrences of an “immaculate inning” with 9 pitches exist in baseball history. The most recent was thrown by Houston Astros pitcher Ryan Pressly in 2021.
A Natural Cycle
A natural cycle happens when a batter hits a single, double, triple and home run all in order during the same game. This rare hitting feat has only occurred 14 times in MLB history, requiring the batter to have consistent power, speed, and some luck in one game. The last natural cycle was achieved by Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker in 2021.
Stealing Home Twice in One Game
Stealing home is a risky base running play where the runner attempts to steal from third base to home plate while the pitcher is delivering the ball. Successfully doing it twice in one game has only occurred twice in MLB history, first in 1918 by Hall of Famer Ty Cobb. The second instance was in 1997 by then-rookie second baseman Eric Young Sr. of the Colorado Rockies.
Hitting for the Cycle Twice in One Season
While hitting for the single-game cycle is rare, hitting for two cycles within the same season is even more improbable. Only two players have ever accomplished this feat. In 1885, Hall of Famer Buck Ewing hit for the cycle on May 7 and then again on September 28. The only other player to match this was Aaron Hill of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012 when he hit for cycles on June 18 and June 29 of that year.
Hitting Home Runs From Both Sides of the Plate in One Inning
Switch-hitters can bat from both the left and right sides, but hitting a home run from each side in the same inning is exceptionally uncommon. This feat has only been achieved once in MLB history by Mark Bellhorn of the Chicago Cubs on August 29, 2002. During that inning, the score was tied 7-7 against the Brewers. Bellhorn managed to break the tie and set a MLB record with his ambidextrous power display.
Throwing Official No-Hitters in Both Leagues
Throwing one no-hitter is hard enough, as evidenced by there only being 312 in MLB history. But throwing official no-nos in both the American and National League is a truly exclusive accomplishment. Only Vida Blue, Nolan Ryan, and Randy Johnson can make this claim. Blue threw his NL no-hitter with the San Francisco Giants in 1983, having already tossed one for the Oakland A’s in 1970. Ryan leads MLB with seven career no-hitters between his time on the Angels, Astros and Rangers. Johnson tossed a no-hitter with the Seattle Mariners in 1990 and another with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004.
Pitching Two Perfect Games
Out of the 23 perfect games in MLB history, only one pitcher has managed to throw two. Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax pitched his first perfect game in 1965 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Five years later in 1965 still with the Dodgers, he cemented his legend by tossing a second perfect game, becoming the lone member of the two perfect games club.
Being the Last MLB Player to Steal Home
With baseball strategy shifting away from aggressive baserunning, straight steals of home plate have become increasingly rare. There has not been a successful straight steal of home in the majors since 2013. That year, Leonys Martin of the Texas Rangers managed a straight steal of home plate against the Seattle Mariners on September 28. Martin’s stolen base made him the last MLB player to accomplish this daring feat.
Hitting a Walk-Off Inside-the-Park Home Run
Only two MLB games have ever ended with a walk-off inside-the-park home run. This rare finish requires a well-hit ball that evades the outfielders, speedy baserunning, and a bit of ballpark geometry to work. The only two MLB players to end a game with an inside-the-park homer are legendary center fielder Willie Mays in 1955 and Adam Eaton who did it for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010.
Stealing Second, Third and Home in One Inning
Stealing three bases in one inning has happened less than five times in MLB history. To accomplish this uncommon triple steal, all game circumstances have to align perfect for the baserunner. The last and only player credited with swiping second, third and home in the same inning was Edwardo Rodriguez who did it in 1977 as a rookie for the Chicago White Sox.
Hitting Grand Slams in Consecutive At-Bats
Hitting two grand slam home runs in back-to-back at-bats has only happened once in MLB history. In 1999, Fernando Tatis of the St. Louis Cardinals achieved this power hitting milestone against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After hitting a grand slam in the third inning, Tatis incredibly hit another the very next inning, driving in a record-setting eight RBIs in just two at-bats.
Getting Six Hits in a Nine-Inning Game
Collecting three or four hits in a game is considered an excellent offensive performance. But getting six hits in a nine-inning game has only been achieved four times in MLB history. The last time was by Rennie Stennett in 1975 while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. During that game against the Chicago Cubs, Stennett went 7-for-7 with two doubles and four singles.
Conclusion
While pitching a perfect game is an iconic baseball achievement, there are a number of feats that are even more exclusive, from unique base running plays to historic hitting performances. Many have only happened once or twice in MLB’s long history, underlining how difficult it is to accomplish record-setting baseball excellence. Any player able to add their name to one of these exclusive Clubs cements their legend in baseball lore.