23. Randy Johnson
A pitcher with a blazing fastball, questionable command and an intimidating presence, Randy Johnson invoked images of Nolan Ryan. Ironically, it would be Ryan, along with Rangers pitching coach Tom House, who unlocked Johnson’s potential, tweaking his mechanics so that he improved his command, allowing Johnson to become one of the truly dominant pitchers of his time.
With a fastball that would touch triple digits and his 6’10” frame making it seem as though he was on top of the batter when the ball came out of his hand, Johnson was an elite strikeout artist. He topped 300 strikeouts six times and led the league in whiffs on nine occasions. He won four ERA titles, made ten All-Star Games and won five Cy Young awards, finishing second three other times.
During his career, which truly took off at the age of 29, Johnson produced a 303-166 record with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.171 WHiP, striking out 4,875 batters in 4135.1 innings. He ranks second all time in strikeouts, and is the all time leader with 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Johnson also ranks 41st with a 3.257 strikeout to walk rate, a truly impressive feat given his early bouts of wildness and issues with command.
Johnson had several other feats on the mound as well. He threw two no hitters, with his second being a perfect game against the Atlanta Braves in 2004, making Johnson the oldest pitcher to achieve that feat. He also struck out 20 Cincinnati Reds in a nine inning game, but with the game tied at 1-1 through nine, was relieved by Byung-hyun Kim in extra innings.
A large presence on the mound with an even bigger fastball, the left handed Randy Johnson may well be the greatest lefty in MLB history. Had he found his command even earlier, one can only imagine what his career would have looked like.
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