Hall-of-Famer Randy Johnson was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball during his legendary career.
“The Big Unit,” as he was known, pitched for the Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants.
Over 22 seasons, the left-hander amassed a total of 303 victories, posted a career ERA of 3.29, and had a 101.1 WAR.
He also was a 10-time All-Star and five-time Cy Young.
Johnson also earned a World Series ring in 2001.
But on this day, 24 years ago, Johnson signed a six-year deal with the Diamondbacks.
This was his first stint with the club.
In those six seasons, Johnson won a total of 103 games in 193 starts and 1,389.2 innings pitched.
He also won four Cy Young Awards, struck out 1,832 batters, and posted a 2.65 ERA.
24 years ago, The Big Unit signed with the @Dbacks 🔥
Johnson's stats over his first stint with Arizona (6 seasons):
103-49 (193 starts)
1389.2 Innings
2.65 ERA
1832 Strikeouts
4x Cy Young Winner
2001 World Series Champ 💍 pic.twitter.com/RP0XOCVv4z— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 30, 2022
The Big Unit’s Accomplishments
There is no doubt that Johnson is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game.
The lefty had a knack for pitching in key games, as he started and won both Games 2 and 6 of the 2001 World Series against the Yankees, which earned him World Series MVP honors.
The Hall-of-Famer pitched until he was 45 years old, retiring after the 2009 season.
He even won the pitching Triple Crown in 2002.
But it was this day in 1998, when the Diamondbacks signed one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, only one year into their existence.
Johnson helped transform the Snakes into a bona-fide World Series contender and may in fact be the greatest pitcher in the history of the organization.
