Randy Johnson may be one of the most underrated athletes ever. His list of incredible accomplishments could fill an entire article. First and foremost, he has won an incredible five Cy Young awards; only the disgraced Roger Clemens has more. He has led his league in strikeouts nine times and topped 300 K's in five seasons. Johnson and teammate Curt Schilling were Co-MVPs of the 2001 World Series, and three seasons later he pitched a perfect game at age 40. This season, the 45-year-old fireballer will reach another milestone: 300 career wins.
Johnson would have been a first ballot Hall of Famer even if he had retired several years ago, but for many pitchers, reaching 300 is very important to their chances of being inducted. (Just ask Tommy John, who won 288 games and, 20 years after his retirement, still hasn't gotten in). Over the past few seasons, we've seen Clemens, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine win their 300th game. But when Johnson wins number 300, he may be the last pitcher to do so for a very long time.
Glavine, who is currently on the Braves' 15-day DL, has the most wins among active pitchers with 305. Next is Johnson with 297 wins. The age-defying Jamie Moyer stands at 249, but it seems doubtful that the 46-year-old has 51 wins left in him. Kenny Rogers, Andy Pettitte and Pedro Martinez form a trio of 200-game winners whose career totals are affected by injuries. John Smoltz, who has had success as a starter and a closer, bottoms out the 200-Win Club with 210. It seems unlikely that any of these veteran pitchers will be able to reach 300 wins by the end of their career. I can think of an elite group of younger pitchers who may have a chance of reaching the milestone. They are as follows:
Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, 136 wins
He's almost 32 and has had his share of injuries, but Halladay continues to be a workhorse for Toronto. He won 20 games last year and has already won five in 2009. Halladay is still one of baseball's best pitchers, and if he can stay healthy, he has as good a chance as anyone at reaching 300 wins. He definitely gets plenty of opportunities; the strong-armed ace started 97 games from '06-'08.
Article comments
1 - Mongo
I saw Randy Johnson at lunch the other day in S.F. That dude is pure class and down to earth. Rode away from the restaurant on a mountain bike.
2 - Dave White
So glad Randy Johnson is a Giant now. If the rotation lives up to its potential, could arguably be one of the greatest ever. Lincecum, Cain, Johnson, Zito, Sanchez. Wow.
3 - Tan The Man
Santana probably has the best chance considering how still dominant he is and that he no longer pitches in the American League.