Randy Jones, a former Cy Young winner, had a unique journey marked by a rise and fall in baseball performance. After a rough sophomore season in 1974 with the San Diego Padres where he lost 22 games, he achieved remarkable success with 20 wins and a 2.24 ERA the following year. However, after spending 8 seasons with the Padres, he concluded his career with the Mets in 1981-1982, struggling significantly with a combined 8-18 record and ERA over 4.5, and his association with the team was underscored by a historical connection involving Jerry Koosman.
Randy Jones is a fun baseball story lost in time. He lost 22 games in his sophomore season in 1974 as a member of the San Diego Padres. A year later, he won 20 games with a league-best 2.24 ERA. That year's National League Cy Young runner-up, the next season included a league-high 22 victories along with 25 complete games, 315.1 innings, and maybe the most insane strikeout total you could imagine: only 93.
Jones was not your typical Cy Young winner nor was his peak a lengthy one. He'd spend 8 seasons with the San Diego Padres, never again matching the early success in 1975 and 1976 but being a good innings-eating arm. In 1981 and 1982, he finished off his MLB career as a member of the Mets.
Jones was no longer the premiere pitcher he was early on in his career. He was 1-8 with a 4.85 ERA in year one with New York. The following season, which would be his last, Jones went 7-10 with a 4.60 ERA.
His ties to the Mets may have begun much earlier when in 1976 he might have snubbed Jerry Koosman out of winning the Cy Young.
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