The 10 Greatest Single-Game Performances in MLB History (Including Shohei Ohtani’s 2025 NLCS Masterpiece)
Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz said he now knows what it was like to watch Babe Ruth play. Brewers manager Pat Murphy called it “maybe the best individual performance ever in a postseason game.” ESPN’s Jeff Passan described it as proof that we’re witnessing “the best player on the planet.”
If you followed Major League Baseball’s postseason this fall, you already know those words were all about Shohei Ohtani and, specifically, his jaw-dropping Game 4 in the National League Championship Series.
On a night when the Dodgers clinched the pennant, Ohtani seemed to single-handedly bend the story to his personal. It’s a night when he recorded three home runs, six shutout innings, 10 strikeouts, and a Game 4 victory that etched grabbed a prominent spot in baseball lore.
But along with sending the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series, which they went on to win in seven games, Ohtani’s Game 4 NLCS masterpiece reignited one of baseball fans’ classic debates: what are the greatest single-game performances ever?
Across more than a century and a half of professional baseball, there’s been perfect games, four-home run outbursts, record strikeout totals, and clutch performances in October. And while few have combined dominance, versatility, and postseason stakes like what fans witnessed in L.A. this fall, Ohtani’s epic performance deserves greater context.
So, let’s revisit some of baseball history’s other performances that defined greatness within the bookends of the first pitch and the final out.
Larsen’s Perfect Game – 1956 World Series Game 5
On October 8, 1956, Don Larsen delivered perfection on baseball’s biggest stage: Game 5 of the World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers.
In front of more than 64,000 fans at Yankee Stadium, Don Larsen retired all 27 batters he faced, needing just 97 pitches to complete the only perfect game in World Series history. He did this against a powerhouse Brooklyn lineup that features Hall of Famers like Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, and Pee Wee Reese.
Larsen’s catcher Yogi Berra famously leapt into his arms at the final out, an image that became one of the sport’s defining moments.
Wise’s No-Hitter with 2 Home Runs – 1971
In June of 1971, Rick Wise put together one of the most astonishing all-around performances in Jamor League history.
Pitching for the Phillies and facing the Cincinnati Reds — a lineup featuring sluggers like Peter Rose, Johnny Bench, and Tony Pérez — Wise thew a no-hitter while providing all the offense he needed by hitting two home runs.
On the mound, he faced just 30 batters, walking only one, and struck out three in a 4-0 victory at Riverfront Stadium. With this performance, Wise became the only pitcher in MLB history to homer twice while throwing a no-hitter — pure two-way dominance decades before Ohtani was even born.
Gibson’s 17-K Game – 1968 World Series Game 1
During Game 1 of the 1968 World Series, pitcher Bob Gibson delivered one of the most overpowering pitching performances in history.
Taking the hill for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, the Hall-of-Fame right-hander struck out 17 batters, setting a World Series record that still stands today.
During his dominance, Gibson allowed just five hits and one walk to record a complete-game shutout and lead the Cards to a 4-0 victory. Facing a Detroit lineup that included superstars Al Kaline and Willie Horton, Gibson’s fastball and slider were seemingly unhittable.
Pujols’ 3 Home Run Game – 2011 World Series Game 3
Game 3 of the 2011 World Series became Albert Pujols’ own personal showcase of power and precision as, facing the Texas Rangers in Arlington, the first baseman went 5-for-6 with three home runs, 6 RBIs, and 14 total bases.
Pujols’ dominance propelled the Cards to a 16-7 victory and a 2-1 lead in the series, which they eventually won in seven games. His performance tied World Series records help by legends Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson.
His final home run, a ninth-inning missile to center, punctuated one of the most dominant offensive displays in postseason history.
Green Goes 6-for-6 with 4 Homers – 2002
While Pujols’ offensive performance was one of the best in World Series history, Shawn Green’s was one of the greatest ever seen in the regular season.
In May of 2002, the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder went 6-for-6 against the Milwaukee Brewers, blasting four home runs, a double, and a single for an astounding 19 total bases — still the most ever recorded in a single MLB game.
Green drove in seven runs and scored six times, powering the Dodgers to a 16-3 victory. In a single afternoon, he etched his name alongside baseball’s most explosive offensive performances with a combination of power and precision.
Koufax Shutout – 1965 World Series Game 7
Pitching on just two days’ rest, Sandy Koufax cemented his legend with one of the most heroic pitching performances in baseball history.
Taking the mound for the Dodgers in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins, Koufax delivered a three-hit shutout in a 2-0 win the secured the world championship. Along the way, he struck out 10 batters while relying mostly on a combination and fastballs and curves.
Perhaps even more remarkable, Koufax had skipped his scheduled Game 1 start to observe Yom Koppur, then came back in dominating fashion, more than making up for his early-series absence.
Just a month earlier, Koufax had thrown a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs, a masterpiece in its own right. But his Game 7 shutout in the World Series transcended even that feat.
Freese’s Postseason Heroics – 2011 World Series Game 6
In Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, David Freese put together one of the most dramatic performances in World Series history.
With the Cardinals facing elimination against the Texas Rangers and Freese down to his final strike, the St. Louis third baseman lined a two-run triple to right field to drive in the tying run and send the game into extra innings.
Then, in the 11th inning, he crushed a walk-off home run to center field, forcing a decisive Game 7 — a game the Cardinals would go on to win.
Though his heroics came late in the game, timing was everything. Freese’s two clutch swings turned potential despair into a postseason performance for the ages.
Ryan’s 7th No-Hitter – 1991
Future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan solidified his spot as one of the most dominant pitchers of all time when, at age 44, he threw his seventh career no-hitter while pitcher for the Texas Rangers.
Ryan’s performance extended a no-hitter record that already seemed untouchable. Facing the Toronto Blue Jays, he struck out 16 batters and walked just two in a 3-0 shutout victory, overpowering some hitters who were young enough to be his sons.
The sheer defiance of time makes this no-hitter stand above others. In his mid-40s, Ryan was still throwing 96 mph fastballs and dominating playoff-caliber lineups, further extending his legend.
Williams Dominates to Record .400 Season – 1941
Entering his final game of the 1941 season, Ted Williams faced a choice that would define his legacy. With a .39955 batting average — which in the record books would have rounded up to .400 — Williams was offered the chance to sit out and secure the milestone.
Instead, he insisted on playing both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics, saying, “If I’m going to be a .400 hitter, I want more than my toenails on the line.”
Williams rose to the occasion, going 6-for-8 on the day to finish at .406, the last major leaguer ever to reach that mark. He went 4-for-5 with a double in the first game of the doubleheader, scoring three time and driving in a run.
Woods’ 20 Strikeout, One-Hit Shutout — 1998
In just the fifth start of his Major League career, 20-year-old Kerry Wood delivered one of the most dominating pitching performances in baseball history.
In the May 1998 start, the rookie struck out 10 Houston Astros (tying an MLB record) while allowing only one hit — an infield single. He also didn’t walk a single batter in the 2-0 complete-game shutout at Wrigley Field.
Woods’ final Game Score of 105 remains one of the highest ever recorded in the MLB, not bad against a lineup that featured great hitters like Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell.
Baseball’s Greatest Performances Live On
From Don Larsen’s perfect game to Shohei Ohtani’s once-in-a-generation NLCS dominance, baseball’s greatest single-game performances remind us why this sport continues to captivate fans across eras.
Each of these moments — born of precision, pressure, and passion — represents the height of what’s possible between the first pitch and the final out.
And for fans who live for baseball history, Pristine Auction is where those stories continue. Whether you’re looking for signed memorabilia from legends like Koufax, Gibson, Pujols, or today’s stars like Ohtani, Pristine Auction offers authentic, certified collectibles that celebrate the game’s most iconic moments.
Because great performances might end at the final out — but their legacy lives forever.
