Randy Jones, baseball player, 1973-1982

Randy Jones

Born: 1/12/1950 in Fullerton, CA, USA

Died: 11/18/2025 in Escondido, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1973-06-16 | Final Game: 1982-09-07

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 178 lbs

Full name: Randall Leo Jones

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Biography

Randy Jones, born in 1950, was a professional baseball pitcher who had a notable career in Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1982. He played primarily for the San Diego Padres, where he became recognized for his consistent performance on the mound during a time when the game was evolving in the wake of the expansion era. Jones finished his career with a record of 100-123 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.42, demonstrating his ability to compete effectively against some of the league's best hitters. Jones was particularly distinguished in the 1970s, earning two All-Star selections and winning the prestigious Cy Young Award, which solidified his status as one of the premier pitchers of his time. Over the course of his career, he amassed 735 strikeouts and recorded 2 saves. His playing style was characterized by a strong fastball and exceptional control, allowing him to excel in both starting and relief roles. As a key figure in the Padres' early history, Jones left an enduring legacy in San Diego and remains a celebrated figure among the franchise's fans.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
100 123 305 285 73 19 2 1933.0 1915 735 129 503 735 3.42 0

Career ERA 3.42 vs. league average 3.77 across their career seasons — 9.2% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1973 SDP NL 7 6 20 19 6 1 0 139.7 129 49 37 77 3.16 3.75 (+16%) -
1974 SDP NL 8 22 40 34 4 1 2 208.3 217 103 78 124 4.45 3.63 (-23%) -
1975 SDP NL 20 12 37 36 18 6 0 285.0 242 71 56 103 2.24 3.71 (+40%) -
1976 SDP NL 22 14 40 40 25 5 0 315.3 274 96 50 93 2.74 3.51 (+22%) -
1977 SDP NL 6 12 27 25 1 0 0 147.3 173 75 36 44 4.58 4.00 (-15%) -
1978 SDP NL 13 14 37 36 7 2 0 253.0 263 81 64 71 2.88 3.69 (+22%) -
1979 SDP NL 11 12 39 39 6 0 0 263.0 257 106 64 112 3.63 4.00 (+9%) -
1980 SDP NL 5 13 24 24 4 3 0 154.3 165 67 29 53 3.91 3.84 (-2%) -
1981 NYN NL 1 8 13 12 0 0 0 59.3 65 32 38 14 4.85 3.58 (-35%) -3407.6
1982 NYN NL 7 10 28 20 2 1 0 107.7 130 55 51 44 4.60 3.86 (-19%) -2467.9

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
319 599 37 79 8 0 0 20 1 22 235 0.132 0.162 0.145 0.307 -3879.8

Career AVG .132 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 49.2% below league average.

Career OBP .162 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 50.1% below league average.

Career SLG .145 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — 61.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.307 vs. league average 0.706 across their career seasons — 56.5% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1973 SDP NL 20 48 2 8 1 0 0 2 0 1 22 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1974 SDP NL 46 65 4 10 1 0 0 2 0 2 29 0.154 .256 (-40%) .324 (-45%) .369 (-54%) .693 (-50%) -540.8
1975 SDP NL 40 83 7 11 2 0 0 4 0 5 30 0.133 .257 (-49%) .327 (-44%) .374 (-58%) .701 (-52%) -718.4
1976 SDP NL 40 103 6 6 0 0 0 2 0 5 39 0.058 .255 (-77%) .320 (-68%) .360 (-84%) .681 (-76%) -1275.1
1977 SDP NL 28 43 2 5 1 0 0 1 0 2 20 0.116 — — — — 0.0
1978 SDP NL 38 82 6 15 1 0 0 4 0 2 32 0.183 .257 (-29%) .323 (-38%) .378 (-48%) .702 (-44%) -604.4
1979 SDP NL 41 86 8 15 2 0 0 5 1 0 29 0.174 .265 (-34%) .329 (-48%) .397 (-50%) .727 (-49%) -741.0
1980 SDP NL 25 45 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 15 0.067 — — — — 0.0
1981 NYN NL 13 17 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0.118 — — — — 0.0
1982 NYN NL 28 27 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 10 0.148 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 305 285 114 465 18 30

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1973 SDN P 20 19 3 24 1 0
1974 SDN P 40 34 7 44 2 3
1975 SDN P 37 36 14 70 4 5
1976 SDN P 40 40 31 81 0 12
1977 SDN P 27 25 8 47 2 0
1978 SDN P 37 36 15 51 4 5
1979 SDN P 39 39 15 60 3 2
1980 SDN P 24 24 12 38 1 0
1981 NYN P 13 12 2 19 0 0
1982 NYN P 28 20 7 31 1 3

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 305

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1982 Player of the Week Week of 1982-05-21
1980 Player of the Week Week of 1980-05-09
1976 Cy Young Award
1976 Pitcher of the Month April
1976 Pitcher of the Month May
1976 Player of the Week Week of 1976-05-21
1976 TSN All-Star LHP
1976 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1975 Player of the Week Week of 1975-05-23
1975 TSN All-Star LHP
1975 TSN Comeback Player of the Year

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Chapman University Orange CA 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1976 Cy Young Award NL 1st 96.0 120 15
1976 Most Valuable Player NL 10th 48.0 336 0
1975 Cy Young Award NL 2nd 80.0 120 7
1975 Most Valuable Player NL 10th 54.0 336 0