| Randy Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Johnson in 2016 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1963-09-10)September 10, 1963 (age 62) Walnut Creek, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 15, 1988, for the Montreal Expos | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 4, 2009, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 303–166 |
| Earned run average | 3.29 |
| Strikeouts | 4,875 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2015 |
| Vote | 97.3% (first ballot) |
Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "the Big Unit," is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher who played 22 seasons inMajor League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily theSeattle Mariners andArizona Diamondbacks.
At 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 metres) tall, Johnson was the tallest player in MLB history when he entered the league, contributing to his intimidating persona and pitching style. As a player, he was especially known for his overpoweringfastball and devastatingslider, a combination that remained effective throughout his lengthy career. While he initially struggled with control in his early seasons, Johnson subsequently established himself as one of the most dominant pitchers of his era, leading his league in strikeouts nine times, and inearned run average,winning percentage, andcomplete games four times each. Along with teammateCurt Schilling, Johnson was one of twoWorld Series Most Valuable Players in2001; in the Series, Johnson won three games and led the Diamondbacks to aWorld Series victory over theNew York Yankees in the fourth season of the team's existence. He won the pitchingTriple Crown in 2002.
Johnson's303 career victories are the fifth-most by a left-hander in MLB history, while his 4,875strikeouts place himsecond all time behindNolan Ryan and first among left-handers. He recorded300 strikeouts in a season six different times, a major league record tied with Ryan. Johnson is a ten-timeAll-Star, won theCy Young Award five times, and is one of only two pitchers (along withGreg Maddux) to win the award in four consecutive seasons (1999–2002). Johnson won Cy Young Awards in both leagues. He is also one of five pitchers to pitchno-hitters in both leagues, and one of 25 pitchers in history to record awin against all 30 MLB franchises.
Johnson enjoyed a career longevity uncommon to pitchers, with his signature fastball-slider combination remaining effective well into his 40s. Four of his six 300-strikeout seasons occurred after his 35th birthday. On May 18, 2004, at 40 years old,he threw MLB's 17thperfect game, becoming the oldest pitcher to accomplish the feat. Johnson retired at the age of 46, and was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame in2015 in his first year of eligibility. He is the first member of the Hall to be depicted in a Diamondbacks uniform on his plaque. Johnson's accomplishments and accolades have led to him being widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.[1] On August 8, 2015, the Diamondbacks retired Johnson's number 51. The Mariners will also retire Johnson's number 51 in 2026, making him one of 12 players with their number retired by multiple MLB teams.
Johnson was born in theSan Francisco Bay Area suburb ofWalnut Creek, California, to Carol Hannah and Rollen Charles "Bud" Johnson.[2] AtLivermore High School, he was a star in baseball andbasketball, though he was cut from the school basketball team his junior year for failing to run a six-minute mile. In 1982, as a senior, he struck out 121 batters in66+2⁄3 innings and threw aperfect game in his last high school start. He threw approximately 90 mph (140 km/h) and was imposingly tall, though he felt he was not the best pitcher in his league.[3][4][5] After high school, Johnson was selected by theAtlanta Braves in the fourth round of the1982 MLB draft but did not sign, choosing instead to attend college.
Johnson playedcollege baseball for theUniversity of Southern California (USC) Trojans. He also played two years forUSC's basketball team.[6] He was scouted by USC coachRod Dedeuax's son out of high school.[3]He was a starter at USC, where he was a teammate ofMark McGwire, but often exhibited control problems.[7] He had a 16–12 record with 5 saves and a 4.66 ERA in three college seasons, striking out 206 batters but walking 188 in243+1⁄3 innings. His 104 walks issued in 1985 are a program record.[3][8]
TheMontreal Expos drafted Johnson in the in the second round of the1985 Major League Baseball draft. That summer, he pitched for theJamestown Expos of theNew York–Penn League.[9] In 1986, he pitched for theWest Palm Beach Expos of theFlorida State League, ranking second in the league in strikeouts.[5] In 1987, he pitched for theJacksonville Expos of theSouthern League. He was the league's pitcher of the month in May and led the league in strikeouts.[10][5] In 1988, he pitched for theIndianapolis Indians of theAmerican Association.[11] On August 6, he pitched the first seven innings of a combined no-hitter, a 1–0 loss, as he allowed a walk in the first inning to score the only run of the game. In mid-June, he was removed from a game as an injury precaution after attempting to field a ball hit back to the mound. In frustration, he punched a bat rack and suffered a hairline fracture in his non-throwing hand. He was out of action until the end of July, though he said the incident made him grow up.[12][5]
Johnson made his major league debut on September 15, 1988, against thePittsburgh Pirates, earning a 9–4 victory with a five-inning outing in which he gave up two runs with five strikeouts; his first victim wasOrestes Destrade in the second inning. Johnson posted a record of 3–0 with a 2.42 earned run average (ERA) in four games as aSeptember call-up in 1988.[13] He was the first Montreal pitcher to win his first three MLB starts.[12]
Johnson began the 1989 season with an 0–4 record with a 6.67 ERA in seven games through May 7.[14] He was demoted to Indianapolis on May 9. "I'm too old to cry, but that's what I feel like doing," Johnson said about the move, in part due to his wish to pitch in front of his family on an upcoming Expos west coast road trip.[15] In 11 MLB games pitched in two months with the Expos, he went 3–4 with a 4.69 ERA and one complete game in55+2⁄3 innings with 51 strikeouts and 33 walks.[13]
On May 25, 1989, The Expos traded Johnson,Gene Harris, andBrian Holman to theSeattle Mariners for All-Star pitcherMark Langston and aplayer to be named later, withMike Campbell sent in July to complete the trade.[16]MLB.com later called the trade the biggest in the Mariners history.[17]
After joining the Mariners during the1989 season, Johnson led the majors in walks for three consecutive seasons (1990–1992) and hit batsmen in 1992 and 1993.[18] In July 1991, facing theMilwaukee Brewers, the erratic Johnson allowed 4 runs on 1 hit and a career-high 10 walks in 4 innings. A month later, a 9th-inning single cost him a no-hitter against theOakland Athletics. Johnson suffered another 10-walk, 4-inning start in 1992.[19][20] Despite the wildness, Johnson showed potential: In 1990, he became the first left-hander to strike outWade Boggs three times in one game.[21] He threw his first career no-hitter against theDetroit Tigers on June 2, 1990, needing 138 pitches.[22] He was named to his firstAll-Star team in 1990.[18]
Johnson credited a meeting withNolan Ryan andTexas Rangers pitching coachTom House late in the 1992 season with helping him take his career to the next level; Ryan said that he appreciated Johnson's talent and did not want to see him take as long to figure certain things out as he had taken. House recommended a slight change in his delivery; before the meeting, Johnson would land on the heel of his foot after delivering a pitch, and he therefore usually landed offline from home plate. Ryan suggested that he land on the ball of his foot, and almost immediately, he began finding the strike zone more consistently.[23] In a September 27, 1992, game against the Rangers, with Ryan the opposing starting pitcher, Johnson struck out 18 batters in eight innings while throwing 160 pitches, a pitch count that has not been reached in an MLB game since.[24]
On Christmas Day in 1992, Johnson's father died of anaortic aneurysm. Johnson was traveling to visit his father, but did not get to speak to him before his death.[25] Devastated by his father's death, Johnson told his mother he was considering quitting baseball, but she convinced him to keep pitching.[23]
Johnson broke out in1993, with a 19–8 record, 3.24 ERA and one save, his first of six300-plus strikeout seasons (308),[18] and the Mariners' franchise record for strikeouts.[26] In May, Johnson again lost a no-hitter to a 9th-inning single; again, the opponent was the Athletics.[20] He also recorded his 1,000th career strikeout against theMinnesota Twins'Chuck Knoblauch.[27] Prior to the trade deadline, Johnson was nearly dealt to theToronto Blue Jays forSteve Karsay andMike Timlin. Toronto general managerPat Gillick had two separate transactions on the table including the one for Johnson with Seattle general managerWoody Woodward and one forRickey Henderson with Oakland general managerSandy Alderson. When Gillick was unable to contact Woodward, he agreed to the deal with Alderson. When Woodward returned Gillick's call, he said he would agree to the deal for Johnson. However, Gillick gave his word to Alderson even though the deal had not been finalized.[28]
At theAll-Star Game inBaltimore, in a famous incident, Johnson threw a fastball over the head ofPhiladelphia Phillies first basemanJohn Kruk.[29] Johnson earned his first MLB save on August 16, also in Baltimore, relieving closerNorm Charlton, who suffered a season-ending injury. On October 3, Johnson entered the final game of the season as a defensive substitution, replacingBrian Turang in left field. This made him the tallest player to play the field in MLB history.[27][30][31] Johnson finished second inAmerican League (AL)Cy Young Award voting, losing toJack McDowell.[27]
That offseason, theNew York Yankees attempted to trade for Johnson, but ownerGeorge Steinbrenner reportedly would not offer a large contract extension for Johnson. The Mariners signed Johnson to a four-year, $20.25 million extension in December, making him one of the 10 highest paid pitchers at the time.[32]
Johnson was again one of the top pitchers in the AL in theshortened 1994 season, making his thirdAll-Star team and finishing third in Cy Young voting. He again led the majors with 204 strikeouts and also led with four shutouts.[18] Johnson was the final pitcher before the season ended due to theplayer's strike, striking out Oakland'sErnie Young to seal his AL-best 9th complete game of the season.[33]
Johnson won the AL Cy Young Award in1995 with an 18–2 record, 2.48 ERA and 294 strikeouts. His .900 winning percentage was the second highest in AL history, behindJohnny Allen, who had gone 15–1 for theCleveland Indians in 1937. Johnson became the first regular starting pitcher in history to strike out more than a third of all batters faced. He also became the first Seattle pitcher to win the Cy Young Award and the only one untilFélix Hernández won in2010. Johnson capped the Mariners' late-season comeback by pitching a three-hitter in the AL West's one-game playoff, crushing theCalifornia Angels' hopes with 12 strikeouts. Thus unable to start in the five-gameAL Division Series (ALDS) series against theYankees until the third game, Johnson watched as New York took a 2–0 series lead. He defeated the Yankees in Game 3 with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.
When the series went the full five games, the Mariners having come back from a 2–0 deficit to win both games at theKingdome, Johnson made a dramatic relief appearance in the series final, Game 5, on only one day's rest. Entering a 4–4 game in the ninth inning, Johnson pitched the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings. He allowed one run, struck out six, and held on for the series-ending win in Seattle's dramatic comeback.
Johnson was sidelined throughout much of the 1996 season with a back injury, but he rebounded in1997 with a 20–4 record, 291 strikeouts, and a 2.28 ERA (his personal best). Between May 1994 and October 1997, Johnson had gone 53–9, including a 16–0 streak that fell one short of the AL record. Johnson had two 19-strikeout starts in 1997, on June 24 and August 8.[34][35]
Another colorful All-Star Game moment proceeded in the1997 game involving former Expos teammateLarry Walker, then with theColorado Rockies.[36] When Johnson had started an interleague game versus the Rockies on June 12, Walker chose not to play, explaining that "I faced Randy one time inspring training and he almost killed me."[37] In the All-Star Game, Walker batted against Johnson, who theatrically threw over his head. Ever adaptable, Walker placed hisbatting helmet backwards and switched sides in the batters' box to stand right-handed for one pitch. He ended the at bat by drawing a walk.[38] The incident momentarily drew mirth and laughter from players in bothdugouts,fans and announcers, and, of course, comparisons to the at bat with Kruk in the 1993 All-Star Game.[39] In spite of garnering a reputation of avoiding Johnson,[40] Walker batted .393 (11 hits in 28 at bats) against him in his career,[41] nearly double the rate of all left-handed batters at .199.[42] When the 1998 season began, Johnson was upset the Mariners would not offer him a contract extension, given his contract was expiring after the season.[43] Though the Mariners initially wanted to keep Johnson, turning down a trade offer from theLos Angeles Dodgers,[44] they fell out of contention, going 8–20 in June.[45] Minutes before the non-waiver trade deadline, on July 31, the Mariners traded Johnson to theHouston Astros for three minor leaguers:Freddy García,Carlos Guillén, andJohn Halama.[45] Johnson was a Mariner for nearly 9 years, his longest tenure with one team.
In 11 regular-season starts with the Astros, Johnson posted a 10–1 record, a 1.28 ERA, and 116 strikeouts in84+1⁄3 innings, and pitched four shutouts. Johnson finished seventh in theNational League (NL) Cy Young Award voting, despite pitching only two months in the league, and helped Houston win their second straightNL Central division title. During the playoffs, however, the Astros lost the1998 NL Division Series to theSan Diego Padres, 3–1. Johnson started Games 1 and 4, both losses. He only gave up three earned runs combined in the two games, but received only one run in support (in Game 4).
Johnson agreed to a four-year contract, with an option for a fifth year, for $52.4 million, with theArizona Diamondbacks, a second-year franchise.[46] Johnson led the team to the playoffs that year on the strength of a 17–9 record and 2.48 ERA with 364 strikeouts, leading the majors in innings, complete games, and strikeouts. Johnson won the NL Cy Young Award andWarren Spahn Award as the best left-handed pitcher in MLB.[47] Johnson became the third pitcher in history, afterGaylord Perry andPedro Martínez, to win the Cy Young Award in both the AL and NL; Martínez won the AL Cy Young in the same season that Johnson won its NL counterpart. Johnson finished 2000 with 19 wins, 347 strikeouts and a 2.64 ERA, and won his second consecutive NL Cy Young Award[18] and Warren Spahn Award.[48] The Diamondbacks acquiredCurt Schilling from thePhiladelphia Phillies in July 2000, and the two aces anchored the Diamondbacks rotation.[49]
In the fourth year of the franchise's existence, Johnson and Schilling carried the Diamondbacks to their firstWorld Series appearance and victory in 2001 against theNew York Yankees. Johnson and Schilling shared theWorld Series Most Valuable Player Award, theBabe Ruth Award,[50] andSports Illustrateds 2001 "Sportsmen of the Year" honor. For the first of two consecutive seasons, Johnson and Schilling finished 1–2 in the Cy Young balloting.[51] Johnson also won his third consecutive Warren Spahn Award.[52] Johnson's performance was particularly dominating, striking out 11 in a 3-hit shutout in Game 2, pitching seven innings for the victory in Game 6 and then coming on in relief the following day to pick up the win in Game 7. Of Arizona's 11 post-season wins in 2001, Johnson had five. He was the last pitcher to win 3 games in a single World Series untilYoshinobu Yamamoto achieved the feat in the2025 World Series. Johnson's Game 7 relief appearance was his second of the 2001 season; on July 19, a game against the Padres was delayed by two electrical explosions inQualcomm Stadium. When the game resumed the following day, Johnson stepped in as the new pitcher and racked up 16 strikeouts in seven innings, technically setting the record for the most strikeouts in a relief stint.[53]
In afreak accident on March 24, 2001, atTucson Electric Park, during the 7th inning of aspring training game against theSan Francisco Giants, Johnson threw a fastball toCalvin Murray that struck and killed adove. The ball was ruled dead, and it was ruled "no pitch".[55] The event was not unique in baseball history, but it became one of Johnson's most-remembered baseball moments;[56] a news story 15 years later remarked, "the event remains iconic, and the Big Unit says he gets asked about the incident nearly as much as he does about winning the World Series later that year with the Arizona Diamondbacks."[57]
Johnson struck out 20 batters in a game on May 8, 2001, against theCincinnati Reds.[58] Johnson recorded all 20 strikeouts in the first nine innings and was replaced before the start of the tenth, but because the game went into extra innings, he is ineligible to share the nine-inning game strikeout record. On August 23, 2001, Johnson struck out three batters on nine pitches in the 6th inning of a 5–1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, becoming the 30th pitcher in major league history to pitch animmaculate inning. Johnson's 2001 season was the 2nd time in MLB history where a starting pitcher had more than twice as many strikeouts in a season (372) as hits allowed (181) (first accomplished byPedro Martinez in the 2000 season with 284 strikeouts and 128 hits and later also accomplished byMax Scherzer in 2017, and bothGerrit Cole andJustin Verlander in 2019). He also became the second pitcher to strike out 300 more batters than he walked, walking 71 batters against 372 strikeouts (first accomplished bySandy Koufax who struck out 382 batters against 71 walks in 1965).
In 2002, Johnson won the pitchingTriple Crown, leading the NL in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, and was voted his fourth consecutive Cy Young and Warren Spahn Awards.[59] It was Johnson's fourth consecutive 300-strikeout season with the Diamondbacks, and fifth consecutive overall, extending his own MLB record from the previous season in which he set the record for the most consecutive seasons with 300 or more strikeouts in a season by a pitcher.[60] He also became the first pitcher in baseball history to post a 24–5 record.[61]
Johnson spent the majority of the 2003 season on the disabled list and was ineffective in the few injury-hampered starts he did make.[62] He hit the only home run of his career on September 19, 2003, against theMilwaukee Brewers.[63] Johnson was a .125 hitter over 625 career at-bats.[18]
On May 18, 2004, Johnsonpitched the 17th perfect game in MLB history. At 40 years of age, he was the oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat. Johnson had 13 strikeouts on his way to a 2–0 victory against theAtlanta Braves. The perfect game made him the fifth pitcher in Major League history (afterCy Young,Jim Bunning,Nolan Ryan, andHideo Nomo) to pitch a no-hitter in both leagues. He also became the fifth pitcher in Major League history to throw both a no-hitter and a perfect game in his career (after Young, Bunning,Addie Joss, andSandy Koufax; since Johnson,Mark Buehrle andRoy Halladay have joined this group).
Johnson struck outJeff Cirillo of theSan Diego Padres on June 29, to become the fourth MLB player to reach 4,000 strikeouts in a career.[64]
He finished the 2004 season with a 16–14 record, though his poor record was partially due to a lack of run support as his ERA that year was 2.60. Johnson led the major leagues in strikeouts (with 290) and finished second toRoger Clemens for the Cy Young Award. In games when Arizona scored three or more runs, Johnson was 13–2. As his team only won 51 games that year, his ratio of winning 31.3% of his team's games was the highest for any starting pitcher sinceSteve Carlton in 1972 (who won 27 of thePhillies' 59 wins for an all-time record ratio of 45.8%).[citation needed]
The Diamondbacks traded Johnson to theNew York Yankees forJavier Vázquez,Brad Halsey,Dioner Navarro, and cash in January 2005.[65] Johnson pitched on Opening Day for the Yankees on April 3, 2005, against theBoston Red Sox. He was inconsistent through 2005, allowing 32 home runs; however, he regained his dominance in late 2005. He was 5–0 against the Yankees'division rival Red Sox and finished the season 17–8 with a 3.79 ERA, and was second in the AL with 211 strikeouts.
In 2005,The Sporting News published an update of their 1999 bookBaseball's 100 Greatest Players. Johnson did not make the original edition, but for the 2005 update, with his career totals considerably higher and his 2001 World Championship season taken into account, he was ranked at Number 60.[66]
Johnson was a disappointment in Game 3 of theALDS against theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim, allowing 5 runs on 2 home runs in 3 innings. He avoided being charged with the loss when the Yankees rallied but eventually lost. In Game 5 in Anaheim, Johnson made an effective relief appearance with 4 1/3 scoreless innings afterMike Mussina gave up 5 runs and 6 hits to give the Angels a 5–2 lead, but the Yankees were unable to come back in the series.[67][68]
After an inconclusive year in pinstripes, New York fans hoped that Johnson would return to his dominant style in his second Yankee season. Johnson began 2006 well but then struggled. In between some impressive performances, he allowed 5 or more runs in 7 of his first 18 starts for the season. Johnson was more effective in the second half. Johnson finished the season with a 17–11 record, a subpar 5.00 ERA with only 172 strikeouts. It was revealed at the end of the 2006 season that a herniated disc in Johnson's back had been stiffening him and it was only in his second to last start of the season that he decided to get it checked. This exposure caused him to miss his last start of 2006. After being givenepidural anesthesia and a few bullpen sessions he was cleared to start in Game 3 of theALDS; however, he gave up 5 runs in 52⁄3 innings and being saddled with the loss.[69][70]
In January 2007, the Yankees traded Johnson back to the Diamondbacks, almost two years to the day that Arizona had traded him to New York, forLuis Vizcaíno,Alberto González,Steven Jackson, andRoss Ohlendorf.[18] The Yankees' decision to trade Johnson was primarily based on a pre-season conversation he had with Yankees general managerBrian Cashman about the importance of being closer to his family inPhoenix after the death of his brother.[71]
Johnson missed most of April, rehabilitating his injured back before returning on April 24, 2007. He allowed six runs in 5 innings and took the loss but struck out seven. He returned to form, and by his tenth start of the season was among the NL's top ten strikeout pitchers. But on July 3, his surgically repaired disc from the previous season was reinjured. Johnson had season-ending surgery on the same disc, this time removing it completely. Reporting that the procedure went "a little better than expected", Arizona hoped that Johnson would be ready for the 2008 season.[72]
Johnson made his 2008 debut on April 14 against theSan Francisco Giants atAT&T Park, eight months following his back surgery. On June 3, he struck outMike Cameron of theMilwaukee Brewers for career strikeout number 4,673, surpassingRoger Clemens for the number two spot on the all-time strikeout leaders list.[73] Johnson struck out 8 in the game but allowed six runs as the Diamondbacks lost 7–1.[74] Johnson got his 4,700th career strikeout on July 6.[75] On July 27,Fred Lewis became the first left-handed batter to get four hits against Johnson in a game.[76] In the first at-bat in this game, afog horn went off as Johnson was releasing his pitch, causing him to throw aneephus pitch which fell for a strike.[76][77] In his final start of the season, he recorded his 100th career complete game in a 2–1 victory over theColorado Rockies. He finished the season with an 11–10 record and 3.91 ERA.[78]
On December 26, 2008, Johnson signed a one-year deal with his hometown San Francisco Giants for a reported $8 million, with a possible $2.5 million in performance bonuses and another $2.5 million in award bonuses.[79][80] Johnson became the 24th pitcher to reach300 wins, beating theWashington Nationals (the franchise that he first played for when they were known as theMontreal Expos) on June 4 atNationals Park in Washington, D.C.[81] He became the seventh left-handed pitcher to achieve the 300-win milestone and the fifth pitcher in the last 50 years to get his 299th and 300th win in consecutive starts, joiningWarren Spahn,Steve Carlton,Gaylord Perry, andTom Seaver. Johnson was placed on the 60-day disabled list with atorn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder on July 28.[82] Johnson was activated by the Giants on September 16 and assigned to the Giants bullpen.[83] On September 19, Johnson made his first relief appearance in 4 years, getting only one of three Dodgers batters out.[84] At age 46, he was at the time the second oldest player in MLB, trailing only former Mariners teammateJamie Moyer.[85]
On January 5, 2010, Johnson announced his retirement from professional baseball.[86] The Mariners invited Johnson to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at theSeattle Mariners home opener atSafeco Field on April 12, 2010[87] and inducted Johnson into the Mariners Hall of Fame on January 17, 2012.[88] The Diamondbacks invited Johnson and former teammateCurt Schilling to both throw out the ceremonial first pitches for theArizona Diamondbacks' recognition of the 10th anniversary of the2001 World Series team that defeated theNew York Yankees.[89] On July 27, 2024, Johnson was inducted into theArizona Diamondbacks Hall of Fame along with teammateLuis Gonzalez.
Johnson was selected to theBaseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2015.[90] On his Hall of Fame plaque he wears a Diamondbacks cap, the first—and only, as of 2025—Hall of Famer to do so.[91] The Diamondbacks retired his number on August 8, 2015.[92] At the retirement ceremony, Johnson was presented with a replica of the drum set used byNeil Peart, drummer for the Canadian bandRush, during their30th anniversary tour.[93]
Johnson has participated in over 40 trips with theUnited Service Organizations. He also supports initiatives to fight homelessness. In recognition of all his charitable efforts, he was the Hall of Fame recipient of theBob Feller Act of Valor Award in 2019.[94]
In January 2015, Johnson was named a special assistant to Diamondbacks presidentDerrick Hall.[95]
In 2020, sportswriterJoe Posnanski ranked Johnson at number 28 on his "Baseball 100" list forThe Athletic.[96] In 2022,The Sporting News named Johnson on their "Phoenix Mount Rushmore of Sports", along withArizona Cardinals football playerLarry Fitzgerald,Phoenix Suns basketball playerSteve Nash,Phoenix Mercury basketball playerDiana Taurasi.[97]
On June 2, 2025, theSeattle Mariners announced that that franchise will also retire Johnson's number in 2026. This will be the fifth number retired by the franchise.[98] Johnson attended and participated in the team's number retirement ceremony for fellow #51 Ichiro Suzuki on August 9, 2025, after attending Suzuki's Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony on July 27.
In the prime of his career, Johnson'sfastball was clocked as high as 102 mph (164 km/h), with a low three-quarters delivery (nearlysidearm).[99] His signature pitch was aslider that broke down and away from left-handed hitters and down and in to right-handed hitters. The effectiveness of the pitch is marked by its velocity being in the low 90s along with tight late break; hitters often believed they were thrown a fastball until the ball broke just before it crossed home plate. Right-handed hitters have swung through and missed sliders that nearly hit their back foot.[100] Johnson dubbed his slider "Mr. Snappy".[101] In later years, his fastball declined to the 96 mph (154 km/h) range and his slider clocked at around 87 mph (140 km/h). Johnson also threw a split-finger fastball that behaved like a change-up and a sinker to induce ground balls .[102]
In a 2012 appearance onThe Dan Patrick Show,Adam Dunn, a left-handed batter, was asked who the best pitcher he faced was. "Honestly, Randy Johnson when he was good. It's hopeless. It's like a hopeless feeling. The first time you face him you feel like he's going to hit you right in the back of the neck when he throws it, like every pitch is going to hit you in the back of the neck. And it ends up down and away for a strike and you just have to trust it's going to be a strike, and heaven forbid he doesn't lose one out there and heaven forbid, there goes your cheek," Dunn said.[103]
Johnson has four children with his wife Lisa, all born from 1994 to 1999. He also has a daughter born in 1989 from a previous relationship.[112] He resides inParadise Valley, Arizona.[113][114]
During batting practice in 1988, the 6-foot-10-inch (2.08 m) Johnson, then with theMontreal Expos, collided head-first with outfielderTim Raines, prompting his teammate to exclaim, "Damn! You're a big unit!"[115] The nickname stuck.
Throughout much of his career, Johnson was the tallest player in MLB history. PitchersEric Hillman,Andrew Sisco,Andrew Brackman, andChris Young were also 6 ft 10 in. Johnson's height record was surpassed by former Arizona teammateJon Rauch, areliever who is 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m),[116] and later matched bySean Hjelle.[117][30]
Since retiring from baseball, Johnson has pursued a career as a photographer. He had studiedphotojournalism at the University of Southern California. He has done photography work forNFL games, a tour of the rock bandRush, and has donewildlife photography.[118][119][120]
Johnson guest-starred inThe Simpsons episode "Bart Has Two Mommies", which aired on March 19, 2006. Johnson appeared in the movieLittle Big League, playing himself.[121]
Johnson appeared in aJust for Men commercial where he had a grey beard and his neighbors told him "Your beard is weird." Johnson also appeared in aRight Guard commercial where he fired dodgeballs atKyle Brandt, who represented odor. Johnson also appeared in several commercials forNike in 1998. The spots comedically portrayed him taking batting practice (swinging ineptly at balls from a pitching machine) in his hope that he would break Roger Maris's then-single-season record for home runs. He made a cameo appearance in a commercial forMLB 2K9 with teammateTim Lincecum. Johnson appeared in aGEICOcommercial.[122] In 2012, he appeared in a TV ad forPepsi Max.[123] In 2016, Johnson appeared in a TV ad for theMini Clubman.[124]
In 2022, Johnson appeared with his former teammatesKen Griffey Jr. andAlex Rodriguez as well as Hall of FamerDavid Ortiz in a commercial for the streaming serviceDirecTV Stream parodyingGhostbusters, as the group (titled Goatbusters) battles a giantMr. Redlegs destroying a baseball stadium.[125]
Johnson has been featured as a playable character in variousBackyard Baseball games.
Johnson appeared in the episode "Control" onFranklin & Bash as himself.[126]
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Seattle Mariners Opening Day Starting Pitcher 1992 – 1996 1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day Starting Pitcher 1999 – 2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | No hitter pitcher June 2, 1990 May 18, 2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Perfect game pitcher May 18, 2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American LeagueAll-Star Game Starting Pitcher 1995 1997 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | National LeagueAll-Star Game Starting Pitcher 2000–2001 | Succeeded by |
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