Hall of Famer Randy Johnson’s No. 51 will be retired by the Seattle Mariners in a pregame ceremony next season, the team announced Monday.
Johnson made history on June 2, 1990, by pitching the first no-hitter in Mariners history — exactly 35 years ago Monday — and in 1995, he became the first Mariners player to win the Cy Young Award.
The team will announce the ceremony’s date once the 2026 MLB schedule is finalized.
Now 61, Johnson compiled a 130-74 record and a 3.42 ERA over 10 seasons with Seattle.
“I’m honored that what I contributed during those 10 years is being recognized now,” Johnson said during a Zoom call. “It’s definitely been a long time.”
Though he achieved even greater success with the Arizona Diamondbacks — winning four straight Cy Young Awards and a World Series title in 2001 — Johnson, known as the “Big Unit” thanks to his towering 6-foot-10 frame, looks back fondly on his time in Seattle.
He recalls the 1995 season in particular, when the Mariners’ future in the city was uncertain after King County voters rejected a stadium funding plan. Meanwhile, the team surged to an ALCS appearance, falling to Cleveland. Soon after, the King County Council approved funding for what became T-Mobile Park.
“Seeing how that whole story played out — and how it’s been captured by the Mariners — I’m just grateful to have been part of it,” Johnson said. “Everything came together for that team.”
That year, Johnson went 18-2 with a 2.48 ERA in a strike-shortened 145-game season and earned the first of his five Cy Youngs. He was traded to the Houston Astros in 1998 and later signed with Arizona, where he enjoyed arguably the peak of his career over eight seasons. As a result, he entered the Hall of Fame in 2015 wearing a Diamondbacks cap.
“It was a tough decision,” Johnson admitted. “But statistically, I accomplished more in Arizona. If I could split the plaque — part Mariners, part Diamondbacks — I would.”
Despite that, Johnson holds a deep appreciation for his Seattle years and is looking forward to the jersey retirement event. His celebration will be separate from that of Ichiro Suzuki, whose No. 51 will also be retired on August 9, just weeks after Ichiro’s own Hall of Fame induction on July 27.
Suzuki joined the Mariners in 2001, three years after Johnson’s departure, and wore the same number.
“I know how important Ichiro is to this organization,” Johnson said. “I didn’t want my ceremony to take away from his well-deserved honors.”
Johnson’s No. 51 will become the fifth retired number in Mariners history, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (24), Edgar Martinez (11), Ichiro Suzuki (51), and Jackie Robinson (42), which is retired league-wide.
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