Thursday Marked Anniversary of Impressive Honor for Hall of Famer Randy Johnson
The Seattle Mariners pitching staff will likely be the strength of the team for years going forward. Specifically the starters.
The Mariners' rotation boasts three hurlers who've made the All-Star Game in the last two years. The two starters who haven't yet made the Midsummer Classic, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo, are coming off their second season in the majors and boasted sub-3.00 ERAs.
All of Seattle's current starters are under team control for the next several seasons. Its top two pitchers in the minor league system, Brandyn Garcia and Logan Evans, have both shown potential. And the Mariners selected two of the best pitching prospects available in the 2024 draft with switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and the strong-armed Ryan Sloan.
The Mariners present and future is bright with their current pitchers. But Thursday marked the anniversary of an incredible honor for one of the best pitchers in Seattle's past.
On Nov. 14, 1995, Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson won the first Cy Young award of his career. Johnson was the first pitcher to average 12 strikeouts per nine innings in his Cy Young-winning season.
Randy Johnson piled up whiffs at a record pace as he won his first Cy Young Award #OTD in 1995.
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) November 14, 2024
The @Mariners ace was the first starting pitcher in AL/NL history to average more than 12 strikeouts per nine innings in a single season. pic.twitter.com/UioMb60adi
Johnson's 1995 Cy Young came after two consecutive years of top-three finishes in the award. He had a 2.48 ERA and a 2.08 FIP. He struck out 294 batters in 214.1 innings pitched across 30 starts. Opponents averaged .201 against Johnson, who also posted an 8.2 WAR.
Johnson's Cy Young in 1995 was the first of five. He won four straight Cy Youngs from 1999-2002 in during his stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Johnson pitched the better part of 10 years with the Mariners from 1989-1998. He had a 3.42 ERA with 2,162 strikeouts across 1,838.1 innings pitched during his stint with Seattle. He made 274 appearances and started 266 games during his time suiting up in the Pacific Northwest.
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