This past Thursday the Big Unit joined an exclusive small unit by earning his 300th win as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Washington Nationals 5-1.
The 45-year-old Johnson is the sixth left-hander to win 300 games and the second-oldest pitcher to reach the milestone. Knuckleballer Phil Niekro was 46 when he won his 300th with the New York Yankees in 1985.
Speaking of Niekro, he is part of a group that have had trouble crossing over from 299. Only four of the 11 300-game winners in the last 50 years have achieved it in one try, the last half-dozen – Niekro, Don Sutton, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine – all needed between two and five starts to get 300.
Johnson, a 5-time Cy Young Award winner, is now part of a club whose leader is that man for whom the award is named after, and in my opinion, has the most unbreakable record in baseball – Cy Young’s 511 victories. Take a look why I feel that way.
1. Cy Young 511
2. Walter Johnson 417
3. Grover Cleveland Alexander 373
3. Christy Mathewson 373
5. Pud Galvin 365
Cy Young
6. Warren Spahn 363
7. Kid Nichols 361
8. Greg Maddux 355
9. Roger Clemens 354
10. Tim Keefe 342
11. Steve Carlton 329
12. John Clarkson 328
13. Eddie Plank 326
14. Nolan Ryan 324
14. Don Sutton 324
16. Phil Niekro 318
17. Gaylord Perry 314
18. Tom Seaver 311
19. Hoss Radbourn 309
20. Mickey Welch 307
21. x-Tom Glavine 305
22. Lefty Grove 300
22. Early Wynn 300
22. x-Randy Johnson 300
x-active
How hard is it to get into this club these days? Despite a 20-win season last year, Mike Mussina fell thirty victories shy. Jamie Moyer needs about as many as his age, 46, so that could be a longshot. Andy Pettitte is up there but about 80 short.
Of the younger arms, Roy Halladay, 31, has tallied 140 so far. But a look at the math tells you how challenging it is to get 300 wins. The Toronto righty must average right around 15 wins over the next 10 seasons, which will take him into his early 40s. The requirements for Johan Santana, CC Sabathia and Roy Oswalt are similar.
One thing is for certain no one is ever going to catch Cy Young.
What a tremendous feat. Luck,talent, longetivity. Hats off to Randy.
this record is probably harder than the 500 homer club, because so much depends on others.
way to go Randy!
You got that right. 300 wins is so tough to get, imagine trying to get 212 more after that!
That’s right Ray, like I said earlier, it takes alot more help for a pitcher to get 300 wins than for a slugger to bang the ball over the wall 500 times.
pud galvin is the most underrated pitcher of all-time.
Who the hell is Pud Galvin and Kid Nichols? Did they play when Lincoln was president?
dead ball era, steroid era each had their tests
300 is a great accomplishment
way to go Randy