Randy Johnson (2015)


Date of Birth: 9/10/1963
Birthplace: Walnut Creek, California
College: University of Southern California
Nickname: Big Unit

Randy Johnson was already a top pitcher in high school. In his senior year, he pitched a perfect game in his last start. That year, he struck out 121 batters in 66 innings. After graduating in 1982, he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves but he choose instead to attend USC.

Montreal Expos (Washington Nationals)

In 1985, Johnson was a second round draft pick of the Montreal Expos. He spent his first four seasons (1985-1988) with the Expos in their minor league system. He made his first major league appearances in four games in 1988.

Seattle Mariners

The Expos traded Johnson to the Seattle Mariners on May 25, 1989. He remained with Seattle through July 31, 1998. In 1989, he played in 7 games with the Expos and 22 games with the Mariners and he finished with unimpressive numbers. He had 7 wins and 13 losses, 130 strikeouts to 96 walks, and a 4.82 ERA in 160.2 innings.

Johnson started to show his Hall of Fame promise in 1990, when he pitched a no-hitter on June 2nd. He finished that season with 14 wins to 11 losses, 194 strikeouts to 120 walks, and a 3.65 ERA in 219.2 innings in 33 games. The following season, his strikeouts to walks ratio improved to 228 strikeouts to 152 walks. He finished the 1991 season with 13 wins to 10 losses and a 3.98 ERA in 201.1 innings in 33 games.

Johnson led the AL in strikeouts from 1992 through 1995. His high was in 1993, when he struck out 308 batters and walked 99. In 1995, he had his strongest season with the Mariners, winning his first of five Cy Young awards and leading the AL in ERA and strikeouts. That year, he had 18 wins to just 2 losses, 294 strikeouts to 65 walks, and a 2.48 ERA in 214.1 innings in 30 games. He won the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award and the Players' Choice Outstanding Pitcher of the Year award in 1995.

A back injury landed Johnson on the DL in 1996. He pitched in just 14 games and he had a 3.67 ERA. The following season, he was back to top form, posting a career low ERA of 2.28. He finished the 1997 season with 20 wins and 4 losses and 291 strikeouts to 77 walks in 213.0 innings in 30 games.

Houston Astros

The Mariners traded Johnson to the Houston Astros on July 31, 1998. He finished the season with 19 wins and 11 losses, 329 strikeouts to 86 walks, and a 3.28 ERA in 244.1 innings in 23 games with the Mariners and 11 games with the Astros.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Johnson became a free agent on October 28, 1998, and less than two months later, on December 10, 1998, he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had an outstanding career with the Diamondbacks, winning four consecutive Cy Young awards and four consecutive Warren Spahn awards (1999-2002).

Johnson led the NL in ERA in 1999 (2.48) and in 2001 (2.49), and he led the league in strikeouts from 1999 through 2002. He had a career high 372 strikeouts in 2001.

In 1999, Johnson pitched 12 complete games, a career high for him. He finished that season with 17 wins and 9 losses, 364 strikeouts to 70 walks, and a 2.48 ERA in a career high 271.2 innings in 35 games. He led the NL in strikeouts and in innings pitched in 1999.

Johnson won his third Cy Young award in 2000. He also won his second Warren Spahn award and his second Players Choice Outstanding Pitcher of the Year award. He finished the season with 19 wins and 7 losses, a league leading 347 strikeouts to 76 walks, and a 2.64 ERA in 248.2 innings in 35 games.

Johnson had a strong 2001 season, leading the NL in ERA and strikeouts. He finished the season with 21 wins and 6 losses, 372 strikeouts to 71 walks, and a 2.49 ERA in 249.2 innings in 35 games. His postseason record that year was also outstanding and he won the Babe Ruth award and the WS MVP award. In 6 postseason games, he gave up 25 hits, including 2 home runs, and 7 runs. He struck out 47 batters while walking just 8. He had 5 wins and 1 loss and a 1.52 ERA in 41.1 innings.

In 2002, Johnson led all of major league baseball in wins with a career high 24 to just 5 losses. He won the NL Triple Crown award, leading the league in strikeouts (334 to 71 walks), wins, and ERA (2.32). He also led the league in innings pitched with 260.0. That year, he won the NL Cy Young award, the Warren Spahn award, and the Baseball Digest Pitcher of the Year award.

Johnson spent much of the 2003 season on the DL. He pitched in 18 games and he finished with a 4.26 ERA. The following season, he returned to full strength and health, pitching 245.2 innings in 35 games. He pitched a perfect game on May 18, 2004. He finished the season with 16 wins and 14 losses, a league leading 290 strikeouts to 44 walks, and a 2.60 ERA.

New York Yankees

The Diamondbacks traded Johnson to the New York Yankees on January 11, 2005. He played with the Yankees for just two years. In both 2005 and 2006, he had 17 wins, but his ERA was significantly higher in 2006 (5.00) than the previous year (3.79).

Return to Diamondbacks

In 2006, Johnson requested a trade back to Arizona so that he could be near his family after his brother died. The Yankees granted his request and he was traded to the Diamondbacks on January 9, 2007. He spent most of the 2007 season on the DL with a back injury. The following year, he played in 30 games and he had 11 wins to 10 losses, 173 strikeouts to 44 walks, and a 3.91 ERA in 184.0 innings.

San Francisco Giants

Johnson became a free agent on November 13, 2008, and a month later, on December 26th, he signed with the San Francisco Giants. He pitched in just 22 games with them in 2009, finishing the season with a 4.88 ERA in 96.0 innings. He had his 300th win on June 4th. He retired as a major league player on January 5, 2010.

Awards and MLB Records

  • NL Triple Crown
  • Cy Young award (5 times)
  • Players Choice Outstanding Pitcher of the Year (2 times)
  • Sporting News Pitcher of the Year
  • Baseball Digest Pitcher of the Year
  • Warren Spahn award (4 times)
  • World Series MVP
  • Babe Ruth award
  • Led league in ERA (4 times)
  • Led AL in strikeouts (4 times)
  • Led NL in strikeouts (5 times)
  • Led NL in innings pitched (2 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Johnson in 22 seasons (1988-2009) in the major leagues include:

  • 15 seasons of 30 or more games played, with a high of 35 in 1993, 1999-2002, 2004
  • 14 seasons with over 200 innings pitched, with a high of 271.2 in 1999
  • 3 seasons with 20 wins or more, with a high of 24 in 2002
  • 6 seasons with over 300 strikeouts, with a high of 372 in 2001
  • 8 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 2.28 in 1997

Career pitching statistics for Johnson include:

  • 618 games played
  • 4,135.1 innings pitched
  • 303-166 win-loss record
  • 4,875 strikeouts to 1,497 walks
  • 3.29 ERA

Career postseason statistics for Johnson include:

  • 19 games played
  • 121.0 innings pitched
  • 7-9 win-loss record
  • 132 strikeouts to 32 walks
  • 3.50 ERA

Post Playing Years

Johnson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015 on the first ballot with 97.3% of the vote.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Randy Johnson
ESPN - Randy Johnson
Baseball Reference - Randy Johnson

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