Mariners announce Randy Johnson jersey retirement

The Seattle Mariners, on Monday, announced that they will finally retire the legendary No. 51 for Randy Johnson in 2026.

Johnson is considered one of the top pitchers of all time. “The Big Unit” was a hard-throwing left-hander who was so tall that is certainly intimidated opposing hitters. According to Baseball Reference, Johnson surpasses 100 WAR for his career at 101.1. He struck out 4875 hitters in his career and started over 600 games. His 3.29 ERA is very respectable, and he is one of the very few starters with at least 300 wins.

The southpaw broke onto the scene with the Montreal Expos in 1988, which many don’t remember. He did not last long there and was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 1989. After spending nine seasons with the Mariners, he rounded out his career between the Arizona Diamondbacks, who he won a World Series with in 2001, and the New York Yankees. He retired after one season with the San Francisco Giants in 2009.

This long-awaited jersey retirement took so long because it was initially delayed for very important and respectable reasons. According to Bob Nightengale, Johnson and the Mariners came up with an agreement that involved Ichiro Suzuki. Johnson agreed to let Ichiro wear the No. 51 after the Japanese superstar sent Johnson a letter asking if he could wear it. Johnson gave Ichiro his blessing, and the rest is history.

Ichiro will soon also have his No. 51 retired at T-Mobile Park this August. He will be ahead of Johnson, who will wait one more year. Ichiro and Johnson will join Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, and of course, Jackie Robinson. Ichiro will also soon be joining Johnson in the Hall of Fame.

There is a lot to look forward to as a Mariners fan. The team is very good, and that only makes these upcoming jersey retirements mean much more, knowing the team is competitive and has a chance to make a World Series run.