M’s announce date, giveaway for Randy Johnson number retirement

Nov 20, 2025, 11:48 AM

Seattle Sports

The Seattle Mariners announced Thursday that legendary left-handed pitcher Randy Johnson will have his number retired during a pregame ceremony at T-Mobile Park on May 2 of next season when the M’s host the Kansas City Royals.

Additionally, the Mariners will host a Randy Johnson ’80s Jersey Night on May 1, where the first 20,000 fans in attendance will receive throwback Johnson jerseys.

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Seattle originally announced Johnson would have his number retired next year back on June 2, which was the 25th anniversary of Johnson throwing the first no-hitter in club history.

Johnson is set to be the fifth player to have his number retired by the Mariners and the second to have the No. 51 retired. He will join Ken Griffey Jr. (No. 24), Edgar Martinez (No. 11), Ichiro Suzuki (No. 51) and Jackie Robinson (No. 42).

The Mariners acquired Johnson during the 1989 season in a trade that sent left-hander Mark Langston and right-hander Mike Johnson to the Montreal Expos.

In the years after the trade, Johnson emerged as one of the greatest pitchers of his generation and in Mariners history.

Johnson compiled a 130-74 record with a 3.42 ERA and 2,162 strikeouts over 1,838 1/3 innings while appearing in 10 seasons with Seattle from 1989-1998.

He led the American League in strikeouts from 1992-95, which included leading all of baseball in 1993-1995. In 1993, he set a single-season club record 308 strikeouts.

A four-time All-Star with Seattle, Johnson won the AL Cy Young in 1995 while helping the M’s win their first AL West title and reach the playoffs for the first time – a season that’s credited for saving baseball in the Pacific Northwest. He helped the M’s reach the postseason again in 1997.

The M’s traded Johnson to the Houston Astros during the 1998 season for the package of shortstop Carlos Guillén, right-hander Freddy Garcia and left-hander John Halama.

Johnson’s 19 career shutouts with the M’s are first in club history, and his 3.42 ERA is tied for first. He ranks second in career strikeouts and third in wins and innings pitched. He led in all three of those categories when he was traded to Houston.

After leaving Seattle, Johnson won four straight NL Cy Young awards with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1999-2002, which included helping the team win its first World Series in 2001. He became the 23rd and most recent pitcher to join the 300-win club in 2009.

Over 22 big league seasons, Johnson had a 303-166 record, 3.29 ERA and 4,875 strikeouts over 4,135 1/3 innings pitched. He’s second in MLB history in career strikeouts.

Johnson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2012.