SACRAMENTO, CA – APRIL 13: A detail shot of the New York Mets logo is seen during the game between the New York Mets and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Sunday, April 13, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
The New York Mets enjoyed two seasons with one of the craftiest southpaws in Major League Baseball history, though his career will be best remembered for the time he spent with their National League rival.
On Wednesday, the San Diego Padres announced the death of Randy Jones, who played for their organization from 1973 through 1980 before joining the Mets for the 1981 and 1982 seasons. He was born in 1950.
“With deep sorrow and heavy hearts, the Padres mourn the passing of our beloved left-hander, Randy Jones,” the Padres posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Randy was a cornerstone of our franchise. The Cy Young Award winner, Padres Hall of Famer, and tremendous community ambassador, was a giant in our lives and will be greatly missed.”
Jones’ best individual season was in 1976, when he posted a 2.74 ERA across a Major League leading 40 starts and took home the Cy Young Award. Jones also logged 25 complete games that year, with more than 315 total innings pitched and 22 total wins.
For reference and to underscore just how much starting pitching has changed since then, the San Francisco Giants’ Logan Webb was 2025’s total starts leader with 34. And no pitcher in this past season logged more than two complete games.
Jones was also twice an All-Star with the Padres. All told, he made at least 24 starts for the team in seven different seasons and pitched at least 150 innings in six different campaigns. His standout 1975 and 1976 seasons also earned him votes for the National League Most Valuable Player Award.
Though Jones is best remembered for his time with the Padres, he was also a member of two Mets teams at the end of his career, though his ERA was above 4.50 across those two years, which followed a significant bicep injury he suffered while with the Padres.
“His peak workload proved costly; Jones tore a nerve near his left biceps tendon in his 40th and final start of 1976, requiring postseason surgery. He never regained his top form and was traded to the Mets after the ’80 campaign,” Shaun O’Neill wrote for MLB.com. “Jones played two seasons in New York and retired after spending the 1983 spring with the Pirates but failing to crack the Opening Day roster.”
Jones maintained his popularity in San Diego well after joining the Mets and then hanging up his spikes for good. But Mets fans will take the occasion to remember his career as well, even if his best seasons came with the Padres.