Prime Felix Hernandez was an incredible pitcher, one of the best in MLB.
The former Seattle Mariners star is known for his devastating changeup and his quick rise to stardom: he was already dominating MLB hitters at 19 and is probably one of the best pitching prospects in franchise history.
He is the owner of the last perfect game thrown in MLB.
In fact, he is part of an incredible statistical oddity: three perfect games were thrown in 2012.
Not one has happened since then.
“We saw THREE perfect MLB games in a 4-month span of 2012. This King Félix gem happened exactly 10 years ago today. We haven’t seen another one since,” Codify Baseball tweeted, with some highlights of that 2012 day in which the “King” stymied the Tampa Bay Rays.
We saw THREE perfect MLB games in a 4-month span of 2012. This King Félix gem happened exactly 10 years ago today.
We haven’t seen another one since.pic.twitter.com/lMvEh3tQIz
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 15, 2022
Hernandez, at his best, had excellent fastball velocity and a devastating curveball-changeup combo to make hitters look foolish.
That day, he displayed the best of his extensive repertoire.
Will We See Another Perfect Game Anytime Soon?
It’s fair to point out that Matt Cain and Philip Humber also threw perfect games that season.
Since that day on August 15, 2012, when Felix shut out the Rays, MLB has seen plenty of no-hitters, but not additional perfect games.
Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers flirted with one earlier this season, but his manager took him out as he had already surpassed his pitch limit (he was coming off an injury and it was early in the season).
Will we see another perfect game in the not-so-distant future?
With specialized roles, multi-inning relievers, and starters throwing fewer innings on average, it’s not particularly likely.
Anybody can have an inspired night, though, so it’s not impossible.
