MLB · 5 months ago

10 Unbreakable MLB Stats and Moments That Made History

SportsGrid Contributor Just Baseball

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1. Ken Johnson’s No-Hitter… in a Loss
On April 23, 1964, Ken Johnson of the Houston Colt .45s threw a nine-inning no-hitter—and lost. Errors allowed Pete Rose to reach base and eventually score the game’s only run in the 9th inning. Johnson’s final line: 9 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. It remains the only solo nine-inning no-hitter lost in MLB history. We’ve seen shared no-hitters lost, but never like this. It’s a gut-punch record unlikely to ever be repeated.

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10. Maury Wills Played 165 Games in a Single Season
In 1962, Maury Wills accomplished something that may never be seen again—playing in 165 regular-season games. Back then, when the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants finished tied atop the National League standings, they played a best-of-three tiebreaker series to determine who advanced. Wills played in all 165 games that year, setting a mark that’s all but impossible in today's structured 162-game format. With modern rest schedules and wild card playoff formats in place, this level of consistent day-in, day-out durability is an untouchable achievement in modern MLB.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis and insights for this slideshow article.
9. Don Larsen’s World Series Perfect Game
In Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in postseason history—let alone a World Series. Pitching for the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Larsen needed just 97 pitches to retire all 27 batters he faced. It’s a feat that’s never been replicated in the postseason and likely won’t be. With the high-pressure environment of October baseball and bullpen-heavy usage, a World Series perfect game is as rare as it gets. Larsen was deservedly named Series MVP.

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8. Rickey Henderson’s 130 Stolen Bases in 1982
No one ran like Rickey Henderson. In 1982, he stole 130 bases with the Oakland Athletics, shattering the modern game’s perception of baserunning. For comparison, no entire team stole that many bases during the 2021 season. In today’s power-focused game with conservative baserunning philosophies, no player even sniffs 100 steals, let alone 130. With rule changes offering larger bases and disengagement limits, we may see stolen bases rise—but Rickey’s record remains the Mount Everest of speed.

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7. Ernie Banks Played 2,528 Games Without a Postseason Appearance
Ernie Banks, "Mr. Cub," played 2,528 games without ever making a postseason appearance. That’s a full 19-year career filled with consistent greatness with the Chicago Cubs—but no October stage. It’s a heartbreaking and unmatched stat, especially in today’s league with expanded playoffs and more teams making the dance. Banks hit 512 home runs and won two MVPs, yet never had the chance to play when the lights were brightest. This record stands as both incredible and tragic.
6. The Alous Form MLB’s First—and Only—All-Brother Outfield
While the above is Felipe Alou, later in his career with the Oakland Athletics, he did something very special a decade earlier, across the Bay.

On September 15, 1963, the San Francisco Giants made history by fielding the first—and still only—all-brother outfield. Felipe, Matty (Mateo), and Jesús Alou patrolled the outfield together, creating an unmatched moment in MLB history. Given the rarity of three brothers reaching the majors at the same time, this family feat feels untouchable. It's one of those legendary baseball quirks etched in history forever.
5. Jose Miranda's 12 Straight Hits
In 2024, Jose Miranda of the Minnesota Twins joined a short, exclusive list of players to notch hits in 12 consecutive at-bats. He joined just three others in MLB history: Johnny Kling (1902), Pinky Higgins (1938), and Walt Dropo (1952). In an era of elite pitching, defensive shifts, and advanced scouting, stringing together 12 straight knocks is nearly impossible. It’s one of those blink-and-you-miss-it hot streaks that lives on in baseball lore.
4. Konerko and Dye Go Back-to-Back for Career Home Runs No. 300
In 2009, Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox each hit their 300th career home run—in the same game, and in back-to-back fashion. According to Elias Sports Bureau, no teammates had ever reached century milestone homers in the same game, let alone on consecutive swings. The odds of such symmetry happening again are astronomical. Even in an era defined by analytics and milestones, this remains a one-of-one moment.
3. Phil Niekro’s 21 Wins… and 20 Losses in the Same Season
In 1979, Phil Niekro went 21-20 for the Atlanta Braves, leading the league in both wins and losses. It’s an absurd stat line that speaks volumes about endurance. Niekro threw 342 innings that year. With modern pitcher usage, where 200 innings is a high watermark and wins are devalued, the odds of anyone reaching even 20 wins and 20 losses in a single season are almost zero. It’s a record from a completely different era.
2. Kirby Puckett’s 0-HR Rookie Season to 30+ HR Just Two Years Later
In 1984, Kirby Puckett had 583 plate appearances and hit zero home runs. Just two years later, in 1986, he launched 31 bombs in 723 plate appearances for the Minnesota Twins.It’s the only time in MLB history a player has had both a no-homer and a 30-homer season in their career. That kind of jump is practically impossible now with early stat tracking and power development emphasized at all levels. It remains one of the most dramatic power transformations in baseball history.
1. Ken Johnson’s No-Hitter… in a Loss
On April 23, 1964, Ken Johnson of the Houston Colt .45s threw a nine-inning no-hitter—and lost. Errors allowed Pete Rose to reach base and eventually score the game’s only run in the 9th inning. Johnson’s final line: 9 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. It remains the only solo nine-inning no-hitter lost in MLB history. We’ve seen shared no-hitters lost, but never like this. It’s a gut-punch record unlikely to ever be repeated.

For all your MLB deep dives, check out our friends at Just Baseball.
10. Maury Wills Played 165 Games in a Single Season
In 1962, Maury Wills accomplished something that may never be seen again—playing in 165 regular-season games. Back then, when the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants finished tied atop the National League standings, they played a best-of-three tiebreaker series to determine who advanced. Wills played in all 165 games that year, setting a mark that’s all but impossible in today's structured 162-game format. With modern rest schedules and wild card playoff formats in place, this level of consistent day-in, day-out durability is an untouchable achievement in modern MLB.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis and insights for this slideshow article.

10 Unbreakable MLB Stats and Moments That Made History

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