The Big Unit — five-time Cy Young Award winner and the most dominant left-handed pitcher in baseball history.
Randall David Johnson was born in Walnut Creek, California in 1963. Montreal Expos selected him in the 1985 MLB Draft. His 22-season career produced 303 wins, 4,875 strikeouts — the second-highest total in MLB history — and five Cy Young Awards (1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002). He won the World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 co-winning the World Series MVP alongside Curt Schilling — the two pitchers combined for 3 wins each across the seven-game series, with Johnson winning Game 7 in relief. He threw a perfect game against the Atlanta Braves in May 2004 aged 40 — the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game in MLB history. At 6ft 10in he was the tallest player to have a sustained career as a starter — his delivery from that height with a three-quarter arm angle made him extremely difficult to pick up. His strikeout rate — 10.6 per 9 innings — is the second-highest in MLB history. He won the strikeout title nine times. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, his first year of eligibility, receiving 97.3% of votes. He famously hit a bird with a pitch during a spring training game in 2001.
Dominant left-handed pitcher with devastating fastball and slider, known as 'The Big Unit'
How They Played
Power pitcher with exceptional fastball velocity and devastating slider, intimidating presence on the mound
Lasting Impact
One of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Hall of Fame legend who dominated hitters with his imposing 6'10" frame and triple-digit fastball
World Series Champion (2001)
Career Honours
- World Series Champion (2001)
- Cy Young Award 5x
- World Series MVP (2001)
- Hall of Fame (2015)
- No-hitter
- Perfect game