What If Randy Johnson never signed with the Diamondbacks?

It’s hard to imagine Arizona sports history without Randy Johnson. The Diamondbacks legend didn’t just dominate on the mound—he helped define an entire era of baseball in the Valley. In eight seasons with the D-backs, Johnson posted a 118-62 record, a 2.83 ERA, and over 2,000 strikeouts. He was the driving force behind Arizona’s early success as an expansion franchise and the cornerstone of their only major professional championship in 2001.

But what if Randy Johnson never became a Diamondback?

From 1999 to 2002, Johnson wasn’t just great—he was the best pitcher in baseball. He won four consecutive Cy Young Awards and back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2001 and 2002. Without him, it’s hard to imagine the D-backs achieving the same level of immediate success. In their inaugural season in 1998, Arizona won just 65 games, and the ownership group — known at the time as Arizona Baseball, Inc.—appeared content with a slow build. But then-managing partner Jerry Colangelo warned that Arizona fans wouldn’t tolerate losing for long. That warning sparked a pivot by D-backs GM Joe Garagiola Jr. to bring in key veterans like Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finley.

More importantly, he signed Randy Johnson to a 4-year, $52 million deal—a bold move for a 35-year-old pitcher with a history of back issues.

In a world where that signing never happens, the 1999 D-backs probably don’t win 100 games or run away with the NL West by 14 games over the San Francisco Giants. They likely hover around .500, possibly finishing second or third in the division. Without Johnson, the three division titles in four years—including the iconic 2001 season that culminated in a World Series title over the Yankees—likely never happen.

The ripple effect doesn’t stop there.

No Johnson likely means no trade for Curt Schilling at the 2000 deadline. The ownership group envisioned a “Koufax and Drysdale” duo atop the rotation—without the first half of that equation, Schilling probably stays in Philadelphia. Arizona never sends Travis Lee and four pitchers to the Phillies, and the most dominant one-two punch in franchise history never materializes.

Without Johnson, the D-backs miss out on not just his brilliance but also the chain reaction that elevated the franchise to greatness. Worse yet, they may have had to face both Johnson and Schilling as opponents in their primes—an unthinkable nightmare for a young team still trying to find its footing.

It took the Diamondbacks’ expansion sibling—the Tampa Bay Rays—ten years to reach their first postseason. Maybe the D-backs wouldn’t have taken quite that long, but it’s hard to imagine them making the playoffs in just their second season without Randy Johnson. Or their third. Or even their fourth.

Without that early success, would expectations for the D-backs fanbase have developed differently? Missing the playoffs in those formative years or not winning a World Series so quickly might have allowed fans to savor the journey: watching young talent develop, celebrating a first postseason berth, or gradually building toward a division title. Instead, Arizona sped through those milestones, and Johnson’s dominance helped set the bar sky-high from the beginning. That might be the only drawback of his incredible tenure in the desert.

The impact of The Big Unit in building a dedicated fanbase for a brand-new franchise is truly immeasurable. Even today, his jersey remains one of the most popular sights around Chase Field. The team’s history would feel incomplete without a legend like Randy Johnson woven into its fabric.

While Johnson’s time here may have shortened the natural growth arc of a young franchise, it also gave D-backs fans a golden era to cherish. For better or worse, Johnson didn’t just raise the bar… he WAS the bar. Johnson put the Arizona Diamondbacks on the map and made the franchise relevant in just their second season. His greatness still echoes through Chase Field – from his retired number hanging in the rafters to his recent photography work being on display in center field – reminding us how one player can forever alter the course of a team’s history.

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