OTD 2008: Randy Johnson Got 2,000 Ks on 2 Teams

Randy Johnson ended his career as one of the most elite pitchers to play the game. He finished number two on the career strikeouts list behind Nolan Ryan at 4,875 total, earning him a spot in the exclusive four-man 4,000 Strikeout Club. The Big Unit’s path to greatness was unlike any of his fellow greats. Johnson created his own category as the only player to notch over 2,000 strikeouts for two different teams on this day in 2008.

INTERESTING FACTS

Randy Johnson became the 1st pitcher w/ 2,000+ career Ks on multiple teams, the Mariners & D-Backs, on July 21, 2008
Most career GP with 10+ Ks: 1. Nolan Ryan (215), 2. Randy Johnson (212), 3. Roger Clemens (110), 4. Pedro Martinez (108)
Most Ks during 1 GP in MLB history: 1. Tom Cheney (21 in 16 IP), T2. Kerry Wood (20) Max Scherzer (20) Randy Johnson (20)
Most career Ks in MLB history: 1. Ryan (5,714) 2. Johnson (4,875) 3. Clemens (4,672) 4. Steve Carlton (4,136)

MAIN SIGNIFICANCE

RANDY JOHNSON BECAME THE ONLY PLAYER WITH 2,000 Ks ON 2 TEAMS

Johnson was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1985 and made his debut three years later. After two seasons, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners. He struck out 2,162 batters during his tenure there, winning one Cy Young award and leading the league in strikeouts four times. Later, he joined the D-backs for six seasons starting in 1999 and returned there in 2007 after a stint with the Yankees in ’05 and ’06. He pushed his strikeout total with Arizona to over 2,000 on July 21, 2008, earning his spot in history.

BEST HIGHLIGHTS

Randy Johnson 2,000 strikeouts

July 21, 2008: Arizona #Diamondbacks SP Randy Johnson became the 1st pitcher with 2,000+ career Ks on multiple teams as he racked up 2,162 Ks with the #Mariners and would go on to finish his Arizona career with 2,077 Ks
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— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) July 21, 2021