Thomas Pannone’s path through pro ball has been anything but straight, and on Monday he added a line to it that few pitchers ever get to write: a perfect game.
The former Guardians farmhand turned in the kind of outing that stops a minor-league season in its tracks, firing nine perfect innings for Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate against Durham. He needed just 94 pitches, 61 of them strikes, and finished with eight strikeouts in a performance that checked every box for dominance.
Pannone also made a little history with the effort. He became the first pitcher to throw an individual perfect game in the minors since Tyler Mahle did it in Double-A and Domenic Mazza did it in Single-A during the 2017 season. The Nashville Sounds said it was the third perfect game in franchise history and the fifth 9-inning individual perfect game in International League history.
The lineup he faced wasn’t empty, either. Durham’s order included five players with big league experience: Nick Madrigal, Carson Williams, Jack Suwinski, Blake Sabol and Logan Davidson.
PERFECTION!
THOMAS PANNONE COMPLETES THE THIRD PERFECT GAME IN NASHVILLE SOUNDS HISTORY & JUST THE FIFTH 9-INNING INDIVIDUAL PERFECT GAME IN INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE HISTORY. pic.twitter.com/ZutA0JBfYv
- Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) September 7, 2026
For Pannone, this is just the latest twist in a career that has taken him far from the Cleveland system where it started. A ninth-round pick in 2013, he spent parts of 4 1/2 seasons in the Guardians’ minor league ranks, reaching Double-A Akron before Cleveland traded him to the Blue Jays at the 2017 deadline for reliever Joe Smith.
Since then, he’s logged big league time with Toronto in 2018 and 2019, bounced through five major-league organizations, and spent two separate stints in Korea.
His Brewers story has had plenty of movement, too. Milwaukee signed him to a minor-league deal before the 2023 season and brought him up to the big-league roster that June. He made one appearance, was DFA’d, and finished that season in Korea, where he also pitched in 2022.
Pannone then spent 2024 in the Cubs and Yankees organizations before re-signing with the Brewers. He missed the entire 2025 season because of a torn flexor tendon, returned healthy this year, and was recalled for his first big league start in nine years earlier this season before being outrighted back to Triple-A after one appearance.
A perfect game like this doesn’t guarantee a call-up, and the Brewers may still keep him right where he is. In fact, just getting through all nine innings tells you something about where he stands now, since minor-league teams usually try not to run pitchers deep when they can save those bullets for the majors.
Pannone had shown flashes before, including the 33 1/3 scoreless innings he opened the 2017 season with, but nothing in his career matched Monday. No baserunners.
No mistakes. Just perfection.
And whatever comes next, that part is his forever.
In Other News...
Daniel Espino Is Giving Guardians Fans Real Bullpen Hope
Daniel Espinos return has been one of the more encouraging developments for the Guardians this season, and it has come at a time when every reliable arm matters. After missing most of the past few years because of knee and shoulder surgeries, he is finally back on the mound and showing the kind of stuff that made him such an intriguing young pitcher in the first place. Across the majors and minors, he has worked 49 innings with solid performance metrics, enough to suggest this comeback is about more than just getting healthy.
Now the Guardians are starting to lean on him in higher-leverage relief work, which says plenty about where he stands in the clubs plans. He answered a crucial game with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts, then followed it up with another scoreless inning and two more strikeouts, giving the bullpen a shot of life exactly when the team needed it. For a roster always searching for trustworthy late-inning help, Espinos emergence has become a storyline worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Star Denzel Ward Just Sent A Big Message About Guardians Future
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The move comes as the Guardians ownership structure is in flux, with David Blitzer scheduled to take control after the 2027 season. Ward said he was proud to join the organization, and the team plans to honor him at Progressive Field, a fitting nod for a player whose connection to Cleveland now runs beyond Sundays in the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Outfield Crunch Is Putting Petey Halpin Under A Harsh Spotlight
Petey Halpin gave the Guardians a jolt on Aug. 21 with a 422-foot home run against the Rockies, a swing that briefly hinted at a bigger role in a crowded outfield picture. Since then, though, the offense has been much quieter, and Cleveland has had to keep sorting through a lineup that already includes Steven Kwan, Jo Adell and Chase DeLauter while trying to balance production with defensive fit.
Halpins strongest argument for playing time has been his ability to handle center field, especially with Angel Martnez better suited to a corner spot. That defensive reality has pushed Halpin into the spotlight even as his bat searches for consistency, and the Guardians now have to decide how long they can keep leaning on range and versatility while waiting for the offense to catch up. [Read more 🡒]