The Toronto Blue Jays appear to be on the verge of reestablishing themselves as one of the top teams in the majors. Aside from their two championship seasons in 1992 and 1993, the franchise hasn't experienced a ton of success. Despite that, they have had some of the best players in the league play for them during their time in the majors. So that begs the question; who are the greatest players in Blue Jays history? That's the question we have set out to answer today, so let's take a look at the top ten Blue Jays players of all time and see why they have found their way onto this list.
10. Lloyd Moseby
Position: Center Field
Years with Blue Jays: 1980-1989
Notable Accolades: 1986 AL All-Star, 1983 Silver Slugger
Llyod Moseby wasn't consistently great for the Blue Jays, but during his peak, he was one of the better center fielders in the game. Moseby struggled for his first three seasons in the majors, but broke out in 1983, which began a very strong five season stretch for Moseby. Moseby's average varied throughout his career, but he consistently hit around 20 home runs during this time, while also racking up around 30 steals per season as well. Moseby was making an impact in several different ways, and rightfully was selected to the AL All-Star team in 1986. Moseby hit a wall again in 1988, though, and it was one he wasn't able to recover from. But by then, he had already established himself as one of Toronto's greatest players, and he still remains on this list to this day.
9. Pat Hentgen
Position: Starting Pitcher
Years with Blue Jays: 1991-1999, 2004
Notable Accolades: 1996 AL Cy Young, Three-time AL All-Star, 1993 World Series champion
Similar to Moseby, Pat Hentgen didn't always have great seasons with the Blue Jays, but when he did, boy were they great. Hentgen broke out in 1993 after getting left off the Blue Jays World Series roster in 1992, and earned his first career All-Star selection. Hentley would have another strong season in 1994 before posting a 5.11 ERA in 1995. But that just set the stage for 1996, which saw Hentgen win the AL CY Young (20-10, 3.22 ERA, 177 K, 1.25 WHIP). Hentgen was an absolute innings eater during his best seasons in 1996 and 1997, racking up over 500 innings and 19 complete games in that stretch. That ended up taking its toll on Hentgen's arm, though, and he was never the same pitcher after 1997. But by then, he had already made his mark as one of the best Blue Jays of all time.
8. Vernon Wells
Position: Center Field
Years with Blue Jays: 1999-2010
Notable Accolades: Three-time AL All-Star, Three time Gold Glove winner, 2003 Silver Slugger
Early on in his career, it looked like Vernon Wells simply wouldn't be able to stick with the Blue Jays. He played sparingly in his first three seasons, but he earned the starting center field job in 2002 and never looked back. Wells truly broke out in 2003 (.317 BA, 33 HR, 117 RBI, .909 OPS) and earned his first All-Star selection, while also finishing eighth in the American League MVP race. Wells became one of the most consistent center fielders from there on out, making an impact with his bat and his glove in the outfield every season he played with the Jays. Wells was productive until his final at-bat with the Blue Jays in 2010, and even earned an All-Star selection in final season with the team. He wasn't the flashiest player, but Wells always found a way to get the job done for Toronto.
7. Jesse Barfield
Position: Right Field
Years with Blue Jays: 1981-1989
Notable Accolades: 1986 AL All-Star, 1986 Silver Slugger, Two-time Gold Globe winner
Jesse Barfield followed the path that several other players have taken who have made this list. He didn't have a super long peak, but when he was at the top of his game, he was dominant. Barfield managed to win a starting role in 1982, but really broke out in 1985, when he finished seventh in the AL MVP race. Barfield would one up that by putting together easily the best season of his career in 1986 (.289 BA, 40 HR, 108 RBI, .927 OPS) and he seemed set for superstardom afterwards. That was the top of the mountain for Barfield, though, as he struggled to hit for a high average afterwards, and he ended up getting traded to the New York Yankees early in the 1989 season. But Barfield had already made a name for himself in Toronto, and remains one of their greatest Blue Jays of all time.
6. Jimmy Key
Position: Starting Pitcher
Years with Blue Jays: 1984-1992
Notable Accolades: Two-time AL All-Star, 1992 World Series champion
Jimmy Key spent his entire career in the American League East with three different teams, but he spent most of his time with the Blue Jays. Key actually broke in as a reliever in 1984, and picked up ten saves as a rookie. But Key found his way into the rotation next season and quickly earned his first All-Star selection. Key would quickly top that in 1987, which was his best season with Toronto (17-8, 2.76 ERA, 161 K, 1.06 WHIP) and saw him finish second in the AL Cy Young race. Key would make it to the All-Star game in 1991 before winning a title in 1992 and departing in free agency, but by then, his legacy was set in stone. Key was extremely consistent during his time with Toronto, and while he was never the greatest pitcher ever, it will be a long time before Blue Jays fans forget about him.
5. Carlos Delgado
Position: First Base
Years with Blue Jays: 1993-2004
Notable Accolades: Two-time AL All-Star, Three-time Silver Slugger
Carlos Delgado broke in with the Blue Jays right after they won their second championship, but it wouldn't be until 1996 that he consistently found his way into the lineup. Once he did, though, Delgado quickly became one of the best sluggers in the MLB. He hit at least 24 home runs in every full season of his career, but somehow only was an All-Star twice. Delgado had some truly dominant seasons, with his two best coming in 2000 (.344 BA, 41 RBI, 137 RBI, 1.134 OPS) and 2003 (.302 BA, 42 HR, 145 RBI, 1.019 OPS), the second of which nearly saw him win the AL MVP award, as he finished in second place. Delgado was a pillar of consistency during his time with the Blue Jays, and his accomplishments at the plate helped him earn a spot in the top five on this greatest Blue Jays of all time list.
4. Tony Fernandez
Position: Shortstop, Third Base, and Second Base
Years with Blue Jays: 1983-1990, 1993, 1998-1999, 2001
Notable Accolades: Four-time AL All-Star, Four-time Gold Glove winner, 1993 World Series champion
Tony Fernandez might have one of the weirdest careers in MLB history, as he had four separate stints with Toronto. He came up with the team in 1983 and earned his first All-Star appearance in 1986. At his peak, Fernandez was one of the best contact hitters in the game who played phenomenal defense, primarily at shortstop. Fernandez was his best in 1987 (.322 BA, 5 HR, 67 RBI, 32 SB, .805 OPS), which earned him an eighth place finish in the AL MVP race. Fernandez left after the 1990 season, but was traded back to Toronto midway through the 1993 season to help the Blue Jays win their second straight World Series. He returned again in 1998 and was even an All-Star in 1999 when he was 37, before finishing his career with Toronto in 2001. But by then, Fernandez's legacy with the Blue Jays was already secured.
3. Jose Bautista
Position: Right Field and Third Base
Years with Blue Jays: 2008-2017
Notable Accolades: Six-time AL All-Star, Three-time Silver Slugger
Jose Bautista wasn't able to find his way in the MLB until he landed with the Blue Jays in 2008. Bautista was a starter in 2009, but he posted relatively unspectacular numbers during the season. No one could have expected what was about to come in 2010 (.260 BA, 54 HR, 124 RBI, .995 OPS) when Bautista emerged from out of nowhere to lead the majors in home runs. He was arguably even better in 2011 (.302 BA, 43 HR, 103 RBI, 1.056 OPS) when he led the majors in homers again, but he never managed to win an MVP award. Bautista was an All-Star for six straight seasons from 2010-2015, and he became one of the best sluggers in the game from practically out of nowhere. Bautista regressed significantly in 2016, but that six season stretch has cemented Bautista's place as one of the greatest Blue Jays of all time.
2. Roy Halladay
Position: Starting Pitcher
Years with Blue Jays: 1998-2009
Notable Accolades: 2003 AL Cy Young, Six-time AL All-Star, Hall of Famer
Roy Halladay is an absolute legend in Toronto, and for good reason, but it's easy to forget his MLB career nearly fell apart in 2000, when he posted a hideous 10.64 ERA over 67.2 innings of work. Halladay eventually worked his way back to the majors in 2001, and from there on out, he was a star. Halladay was an All-Star in 2002 and won his first Cy Young award in 2003 (22-7, 3.25 ERA, 204 K, 1.07 WHIP). Halladay struggled to stay on the mound in 2004, but from 2005 to 2009, he was arguably the most consistent pitcher in the game. Halladay finished in the top five of the Cy Young vote in each season during the stretch, and pitched at least four complete games in each season as well. Halladay tragically passed away in 2017, but his impact with the Blue Jays will never be forgotten.
1. Dave Stieb
Position: Starting Pitcher
Years with Blue Jays: 1979-1992, 1998
Notable Accolades: Seven-time AL All-Star
The Blue Jays were founded in 1977, and you can make a case that Dave Stieb was their first superstar. Stieb was quickly an All-Star in his second season with Toronto in 1980, and never looked back. He was as consistent as they come, as he won at least 11 games in each year of the 80s except for 1986, and he almost never had an ERA come in above four runs. Stieb had several great seasons, but his two best were in 1982 (17-14, 3.25 ERA, 141 K, 1.20 WHIP) and 1985 (14-13, 2.48 ERA, 167 K, 1.14 WHIP), the latter of which saw him lead the league in ERA. Stieb found himself on the Chicago White Sox in 1993, and proceeded to take a five year hiatus from baseball before returning in 1998 to Toronto. Stieb wasn't great at 40 years old, but his legacy was already intact, and he remains the greatest Blue Jays player of all time.
Follow Us
Subscribe