Randy Jones, the sinkerballing pitcher who won the San Diego Padres’ first Cy Young Award and remained a fan favorite in retirement, died Tuesday, the Padres confirmed. He was 75.
“With deep sorrow and heavy hearts, the Padres mourn the passing of our beloved left-hander, Randy Jones,” the team 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.”
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
Drafted by the Padres in 1972, Jones reached the majors the following year. In 1975, he became an All-Star, the franchise’s first 20-game winner and the runner-up for National League Cy Young. In 1976, he repeated as an All-Star, went 22-14 and won the league’s top pitching award.
He did it in captivating style, with a brisk tempo and slow sinkers that confounded opponents from coast to coast. Pete Rose, a switch hitter and Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader, once resorted to batting left-handed against Jones. After a subsequent hitless showing, Rose said: “Left-handed, right-handed, cross-handed, he still gets you out.”
Less than a decade into their existence, the Padres found a franchise cornerstone in Jones. Attendance swelled for his starts at home. The performances, despite his lack of velocity, were often as swift as they were successful. On May 4, 1977, Jones singlehandedly pitched the Padres to victory in an 89-minute complete game against the Philadelphia Phillies. It remains the shortest game in club history.
“My proudest thing was in the ’70s, putting the franchise on the map,” Jones told “The San Diego Union-Tribune” in 2014.
Jones spent eight of his 10 big-league seasons with the Padres, finishing his career with the New York Mets. A longtime resident of Escondido, Calif., he remained ingrained in San Diego well past his playing days. He served as a broadcaster, a franchise ambassador and, for years, a special instructor in spring training. His popular restaurant, Randy Jones BBQ, was a fixture at Qualcomm Stadium and, after the team relocated, at Petco Park.
Jones told reporters in early 2017 that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. After undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments, he announced later that year that he had been given a clean bill of health.
Jones is survived by his wife, Marie, and their two daughters.
This story will be updated.