Randy Jones, a left-handed pitcher who was the first in Padres history to claim a Cy Young Award and win 20 games in a season, has died. He was 75.
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Jones died Tuesday, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Padres announced his passing on social media Wednesday.
With deep sorrow and heavy hearts, the Padres mourn the passing of our beloved left-hander, Randy Jones. 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… pic.twitter.com/AwXWb92aCD
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) November 19, 2025
Jones went 20-12 for the Padres in 1975 and led the National League with a 2.25 ERA. He made his first career All-Star team, finished second in Cy Young Award voting, and placed 10th in the NL MVP race.
The following season, Jones went 22-14, which still stands as the franchise record for victories in a single season. He won the Cy Young Award, after pitching a league-leading 315.1 innings across 40 starts — both team records that will likely never be broken.
Jones would play for the Padres from 1973-80, setting team records for innings pitched (1,765.0), starts (253), complete games (71) and shutouts (18). The Padres retired his number 35 after his career ended, and he remained active in the San Diego community on behalf of the team.
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“With deep sorrow and heavy hearts, the Padres mourn the passing of our beloved left-hander, Randy Jones,” the Padres said in a statement. “Randy was a cornerstone of our franchise for over five decades, highlighted by becoming the first Padres pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. Inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 1999, his impact and popularity only grew in his post-playing career, becoming a tremendous ambassador for the team and a true fan favorite.
“Crossing paths with RJ and talking baseball or life was a joy for everyone fortunate enough to spend time with him. Randy was committed to San Diego, the Padres, and his family. He was a giant in our lives and our franchise history.”
The Padres selected Jones in the fifth round of the 1972 draft out of Chapman College, and he was pitching in San Diego a year later.
“I was 8-1 at the time in the Texas League,” Jones told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2023. “Opportune time. Right guy at the right place.”
He would go on to become the ace of the Padres’ rotation for the next eight years.
By the time Jones was traded to the New York Mets in December 1980, he was two years removed from his last sub-3.00 ERA season. From 1981-82, Jones made 41 starts for the Mets, going 8-18 with a 4.69 ERA. He retired just shy of his 33rd birthday.
According to the Union-Tribune, Jones is survived by his wife, Marie.
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