There have been 24 perfect games in the big leagues, with the last one coming courtesy of Domingo Germán in 2023.
It's no small feat to throw a perfect game in the big leagues, but getting 27 consecutive outs is difficult at any level. On Monday, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Thomas Pannone threw a perfect game for Triple-A Nashville, marking the first by a single pitcher in almost a decade.
Pannone's perfect game against Triple-A Durham was the first since Domenic Mazza in 2017. It was the third perfect game in the history of the Nashville Sounds. It is the fifth perfect game in the history of the International League.
Pannone is not a household name, but he can now say he's done something most pitchers can only dream of, and he did it without lighting up the radar gun. According to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy and Manny Randhawa, he topped out at 91.2 mph.
"Around baseball these days, it’s so much about stuff, so much about velo,” Pannone said. “But I kind of proved that it’s really not. It’s about executing, getting ahead, staying ahead and controlling the counts. If you can change speeds even the littlest bit and command your pitches, I believe that you can have success in this game. Like, I really, truly believe.”
Pannone has not had much success in the big leagues. He was drafted in 2013 by Cleveland and was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017. He stayed with the Blue Jays until 2020, making 49 appearances for the team. He signed with the Los Angeles Angels before the 2021 season and then with the Boston Red Sox before the 2022 season.
He had a 4.57 ERA for the Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate, but chose to sign with the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization in the middle of the season.
For the Tigers, he had a 2.72 ERA in 2022, but signed with the Milwaukee Brewers before the 2023 season. He re-signed with the Tigers in the middle of the 2023 season, but had a 4.26 ERA in his second stint.
In 2024, he spent time with the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees in Triple-A, posting a 3.54 ERA in 30 starts. He missed the entire 2025 season with an injury, but was back with the Brewers in 2025.
He made one start for the Brewers in the big leagues, but was designated for assignment and sent to Nashville again after that.
In five starts since being sent back down, he had not pitched more than four innings. Clearly, that was not the case on Monday.
“I just felt like God was on my side,” Pannone said. “I just felt powerful, and I believed in it, too.”
Even though Pannone needed just 94 pitches to get 27 straight outs, it was not stress-free. He fell behind 3-0 to the final batter, but ended up getting him to ground out. At 32 years old, Pannone is still looking to make a consistent impact in the big leagues. However, he now joins an exclusive list of pitchers to have thrown a perfect game. His perfect game was also a Maddux.
“To keep showing up and keep doing it every time I get the ball, every time I get a chance, it’s pretty cool,” Pannone said. “To do this at 32 years old and be able to say I’ve thrown a perfect game, it’s even just crazy to say out loud.”