Randy Johnson's No. 51 to Be Retired by Mariners, Date of Ceremony Revealed

One of the most iconic players in Seattle Mariners history will have his number retired during the upcoming season.

Seattle announced Thursday it will retire Randy Johnson's No. 51. The jersey retirement ceremony for the legendary pitcher will be on May 2, 2026, against the Kansas City Royals:

Johnson, who was known as the "Big Unit" during his playing days, will be the fourth Mariners player to have his number retired by the team. He joins Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (#24), Edgar Martinez (#11) and Ichiro Suzuki (#51) as those who have received such an honor.

The Mariners' announcement also revealed they will have a Randy Johnson '80s Jersey Night giveaway the day before the ceremony on May 1, 2026, for the first 20,000 fans in attendance.

Johnson was one of the best pitchers of his generation and played for the Montreal Expos, Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants during a career that lasted from 1988 through 2009.

He was known for his signature long hair and electrifying fastball that often overpowered hitters as he built a resume that included a World Series title, a World Series MVP, five Cy Young awards, four ERA titles and 10 All-Star Game selections.

The southpaw came to the Mariners from the Expos in a 1989 trade and remained with the team until they traded him to the Astros in 1998. Johnson made five All-Star Games in Seattle and led the league in strikeouts four seasons in a row from 1992 through 1995.

That 1995 campaign was also when he won his first Cy Young when he finished with a 2.48 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 294 strikeouts in 214.1 innings for a team that reached the American League Championship Series.

Seattle will be the second team to retire Johnson's No. 51, as the Diamondbacks did so in 2015. He won his one World Series with Arizona in 2001 and also took home the National League Cy Young an incredible four years in a row from 1999 through 2002.

He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2012.

Johnson's name remains all over the Mariners' all-time leaderboard. He is tied for first in career ERA, second in strikeouts, third in innings pitched, third in wins, first in shutouts, second in complete games and third in starts.