Randy Johnson ranked 3rd greatest MLB player of the modern era

In the pantheon of Major League Baseball legends, few names resonate as powerfully as Randy Johnson. Known for his towering presence and overpowering fastball, Johnson was recently ranked No. 3 in Bleacher Report’s top 50 players in modern-day baseball.

Affectionately known as “The Big Unit,” Johnson carved out an illustrious career that spanned 22 seasons, from 1988 to 2009. His tenure with the Diamondbacks, from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2007 to 2008, marked some of the most dominant years in franchise history. Johnson’s remarkable list of achievements includes:

• 5 Cy Young Awards: Four of these were earned consecutively with the Diamondbacks from 1999 to 2002.
• 10 All-Star Selections.
• World Series MVP (2001): Johnson’s performance in the 2001 World Series was legendary, leading the Diamondbacks to their first and only championship. He received co-MVP honors with Curt Schilling.

Johnson also ranks 2nd all-time, trailing only Nolan Ryan, with 4,875 career strikeouts.

Legacy in Arizona

Randy Johnson’s impact on the Arizona Diamondbacks is immeasurable. His arrival in 1999 instantly transformed the franchise. While his back-to-back-to-back-to-back Cy Young awards were more than impressive, his most iconic moment came during the 2001 World Series. In Game 7, Johnson delivered a masterpiece to close out the game, leading the Diamondbacks to their first World Series win in franchise history. On short rest, Johnson tossed 1.2 shutout innings, not allowing a single base runner.

Ahead of Johnson

Only two players finished ahead of Johnson on Bleacher Report’s list. Albert Pujols was ranked 2nd, and coming in at 1st is the controversial Barry Bonds. While not in the Hall of Fame due to PEDs, Bonds smashed the single-season home run record and put on a show for fans every night.

Zach Rymer at Bleacher Report wrote, “Nonetheless, looking back on what Bonds did as a player will invariably leave one slackjawed and dumbfounded. Illicitly or otherwise, he rewrote the rules for what a baseball player is capable of. It’s because of him that we know that things that should be impossible are, in fact, possible.”

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