The best careers after age 35 in MLB history: 3. Randy Johnson, 1999-2009 (35-45)
- 160 wins (160-87)
- 2,546 strikeouts
- 62.4 WAR
- 1.102 WHIP
It’s easy to consider Randy Johnson the most intimidating and most-feared left-hander pitcher in MLB history. In fact, he’s probably the greatest lefty pitcher to ever walk the earth. The Big Unit, classified by his enormous 6-foot-10 frame, was nearly unhittable throughout his 22-year career during the 1990s and 2000s. Oh, and it seemed like he struck out every single batter he faced.
That’s an exaggeration, of course, but Johnson is the second-greatest strikeout pitcher in MLB history. Through his 22-year career, Johnson racked up 4,875 K’s, second only to the great Nolan Ryan. The Big Unit continued this brilliance and domination of opposing hitters well into his late 30s and 40s. Honestly, some of his greatest seasons came between ages 35-40 during his final stretch with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Johnson turned 35-years-old in 1999 in the middle of a four-year stretch as the NL Cy Young Award winner. He won 81 games during that stretch with a 2.48 ERA, nearly 1,500 strikeouts, 31 complete games, and 11 shutouts. He led the NL in ERA for three of those four seasons and all of baseball in strikeouts every single year.
The Big Unit put together 2,546 strikeouts during his 11 seasons after the age of 35; that number ranks top on the all-time leaderboard of pitchers over the age of 35. He averaged 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings and an astonishing 1.102 WHIP during the last stretch of his career. In total, he also won 160 ball games. Thanks to this impressive body of work, Johnson owned a 62.4 WAR after the age of 35, the greatest mark in MLB history. He was elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2015.