The 24 best players in Toronto Blue Jays history

Pacing the Blue Jays in all-time WAR is right-hander Dave Stieb, who, for most of the 80s, was one of the top starting pitchers in the American League. Stieb pitched 15 seasons north of the border and is the Blue Jays franchise leader in wins, innings, strikeouts, complete games and shutouts. He represented Toronto in seven all-star games, led the league in innings twice, and won the ERA title in 1985. 

Righty Roy Halladay was Toronto's first-round pick in 1995 out of a high school in Colorado, and just a few years later, it became obvious the Blue Jays nailed that pick. From the moment he was given a full-time slot in Toronto's rotation, Halladay dominated, and if not for Stieb's longevity in this organization, he'd own every major Jays pitching record. Halladay earned 148 victories in a Toronto uniform while pitching to a 3.43 ERA and leading the league in innings twice. He wore a Blue Jays uniform in six all-star games, had three different seasons where he threw nine complete games, and was the 2003 AL Cy Young winner. Halladay was traded to Philadelphia in 2010 where he only padded his resume, and he was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 2019. Tragically he lost his life at the age of 40 in a small plane crash. The Blue Jays retired his number 32 on opening day 2018. 

Outfielder Jose Bautista had played for three Major League teams before arriving in Toronto in 2008, but he had yet to really establish himself as a legitimate big leaguer. That all changed in Canada. Over the next 10 seasons, Bautista slashed .253/.372/.506 while crushing 288 homers and driving in 766 runs. He led the Majors in homers in back-to-back years in '10 and '11, was an all-star six times, and earned three Silver Slugger awards. After leaving the Blue Jays in 2018, he suited up for three different National League teams but was never able to recapture his status as an elite run producer, but the legacy he left behind in Toronto is one of a king.

Shortstop Tony Fernandez began his career in 1983 as a 21-year-old rookie, and 40 years later it's fair to say he's one of the most influential Blue Jays in franchise history. Fernandez left Toronto several times but kept coming back, and in total ended up playing parts of 12 seasons north of the border. In those dozen years he slashed .297/.353/.412 and is the Toronto all-time leader in games, hits, and triples. He represented the Blue Jays in four all-star games, was awarded four consecutive Gold Glove awards from '86-'89, and earned a World Series championship ring with Toronto in 1993. 

Left-handed slugger Carlos Delgado called Toronto home for over a decade in the 90's and early 2000's, and most Blue Jays observers will tell you he's the most accomplished offensive player the team has ever employed. Delgado drove in over 100 runs for Toronto six straight times from '98-'03, and eclipsed the 90 RBI mark in three other seasons. He hit 30 or more homers in each of his final eight years with the Jays, and it should come as no surprise that he's the franchise's all-time leader in homers, RBI, doubles, and SLG %. Delgado inexplicably was selected to only two all-star games while with Toronto, despite three different seasons where he finished in the top 10 in MVP voting. The first baseman did win three Silver Sluggers with the Blue Jays, but it's clear he was underappreciated for a lot of his career. 

Southpaw Jimmy Key began his career as a reliever in 1984 but really made his mark when Toronto moved him to the rotation the following season. In nine total seasons with the Blue Jays, Key earned 116 victories and threw 28 complete games--including 10 shutouts. His 3.42 ERA ranks third in franchise history, and only three hurlers have thrown more innings for Toronto than Key has. The Huntsville, AL native represented the Blue Jays in four all-star games, won the 1987 ERA title, and was a key member of Toronto's World Series-winning team in 1992. 

Jesse Barfield patrolled right field in Toronto for most of the '80s, and while he was never really considered a star, it's not inaccurate to say he was one of the most underrated players in the American League during that timeframe. Barfield played nine seasons for the Blue Jays, slashing .265/.334/.483 with 179 homers and 527 RBI. He qualified for only one all-star appearance during his career, which came in a 1986 season that eventually saw him lead the Major Leagues with 40 home runs. Barfield also won a Silver Slugger and two Gold Gloves during his time with the Blue Jays before finishing his career in the Bronx.

Outfielder Vernon Wells was Toronto's best offensive player for essentially his entire stay north of the border once he got a chance to start every day. That opportunity came in 2002 and Wells never looked back, crushing 20 or more homers in seven of the next nine seasons, while driving in 100+ runs on three separate occasions. Wells was an all-star three times, won three Gold Glove awards, and took home a Silver Slugger in 2003--the same season he led the league in both hits and doubles. Toronto traded him to the Angels ahead of the 2011 campaign, but his best days had clearly been left north of the Canadian border. 

Prior to Roy Halladay arriving on the scene--though the pair were teammates for a couple of years--the ace of the Blue Jays' staff was, empathically Pat Hentgen, who was one of the best pitchers in the American League in the mid '90s. For the two seasons spanning 1996 and 1997 Hentgen was especially masterful, winning 35 games and leading the Majors in complete games, shutouts, and innings in both seasons. He deservedly won the Cy Young award in '96, and represented the Blue Jays in the all-star game three times during his Toronto tenure. In his only start in the 1993 World Series against Philadelphia, Hentgen went six strong innings allowing only a single run, earning the win in game three of a series the Blue Jays would go on to win.

Speedy center fielder Lloyd Moseby patrolled position eight on your scorecard in Toronto for ten years in the 80s and was one of the most exciting players in the American League during that decade. Moseby's mix of extra-base power and speed made him incredibly difficult to defend. For five straight seasons from '83-'87, he homered at least 18 times and stole 27 or more bases. He led the American League with 15 triples in 1984, and the Blue Jays certainly harbor no regrets over taking him #2 overall in the 1978 draft. 

The Blue Jays acquired right-handed swinging DH Edwin Encarnacion at the trade deadline in 2009, in a deal that sent future Hall-of-Fame third baseman Scott Rolen to Cincinnati for the stretch run. It's safe to say the return worked out for Toronto. Encarnacion had been a solid role player to that point in his career, but in Canada he morphed into one of the sport's best run producers. In eight years with the Jays he slashed .268/.355/.522 with 239 homers and 679 RBI. In each of his final five seasons with Toronto he blasted 34 or more long balls while driving in 98 or more runs--including his league-leading 127 RBI campaign in 2016. Encarnacion was selected to three all-star games as a Blue Jay and will be remembered as one of the most dangerous sluggers this team has ever employed.

Righty Jim Clancy spent all but the final three seasons of his career north of the border with the Blue Jays, and while he wasn't necessarily a true ace, he was certainly the best pitcher Toronto had during his tenure. Over 12 years, Clancy made 345 starts for the Jays, pitching to a 4.10 ERA in just over 2,200 innings. He made his lone all-star game appearance in 1982.

Sweet swinging left-handed first baseman John Olerud enjoyed a long, successful, 17-year career, but the first eight of them came in Canada with the Jays, where he gained a reputation as one of the best pure hitters in the sport. Olerud took the reigns at first base for good in 1990, and by 1993 he was the premier hitter in the American League--winning the '93 batting title with a .363 clip. For the entirety of his Blue Jays tenure Olerud slashed .293/.395/.471 with 109 homers and 213 doubles. He wore a Toronto hat in the 1993 all-star game, but most importantly helped this team win back-to-back World Series championships in '92 and '93. 

Center fielder Devon White was only in Toronto for five seasons, but it would be difficult to argue he didn't make a mark on this organization. After coming to Canada in a December 1990 trade with the Angels, White brought speed, excitement, and flair to his new city. In his first three seasons with the Jays the Jamaica-born White swiped 33 or more bases every year, while also flashing some power and consistently playing elite defense at a premium position. He was awarded Gold Glove awards in every one of his seasons with the Blue Jays, was an all-star in 1993, and earned two World Series rings while with Toronto. 

Similarly to Devon White, second baseman Roberto Alomar's time with the Blue Jays was short, but it's no surprise it correlated with the last truly elite era of baseball in Toronto. Alomar came to the Jays from the Padres in a monster winter meetings trade that included other big names like Joe Carter, Tony Fernandez, and Fred McGriff, and he really rewarded Toronto's willingness to pull the trigger on the blockbuster. In five seasons with the Blue Jays Alomar slashed .307/.382/.451 with 55 homers, 342 RBI, 152 doubles, 36 triples, and 206 stolen bases. He was an all-star and a Gold Glove winner every year he was in Toronto, and was one of the primary reasons the Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series titles in '92 and '93. He was inducted into the Hal-of-Fame in 2011 and shortly after that Toronto retired his number 12. 

Outfielder George Bell got cups of coffee with the Blue Jays in both '81 and '83, but once he really got a chance to play every day in '84 he became a staple in the middle of Toronto's line-up for the next seven seasons. In 1181 total games in a Blue Jays uniform, Bell slashed .286/.325/.486 with 202 homers and 740 RBI. He represented Toronto in two midsummer classics, won three consecutive Silver Sluggers from '85-'87, and was the AL MVP in 1987 when he crushed 47 homers and drove in an American League-leading 134 runs. 

Righty Juan Guzman's peak was relatively short-lived, but when he was at his best there were very few better pitchers in the American League. The Dominican Republic native began his career with a trio of terrific campaigns, the second and third of which culminated in the Blue Jays winning the World Series. That was unfortunately then followed with two straight rough campaigns before he rebounded to win the ERA title in 1996. After that, however, Guzman began to struggle again and within two years was no longer calling Toronto home. While his final stat line with the Jays includes a 4.07 ERA in over 1200 innings, it's important to remember that for much of his time in Canada he was a much better pitcher than that, and he'll always have his World Series rings as proof. 

The Blue Jays selected outfielder Alex Rios in the first round of the 1999 draft, and while it took him a while to move through their system, in the end he was worth the wait. Rios was an all-star for Toronto in both '06 and '07, and in just over 800 total games for the Jays he slashed an impressive .285/.335/.451 with 312 extra-base hits. After leaving the Blue Jays he'd go on to play for the White Sox, Rangers, and Royals, and was a member of Kansas City's World Series-winning team in 2015. 

Righty Roger Clemens only pitched for the Blue Jays for two seasons, and the fact that he has a spot on the team's top 24 WAR list should tell you all you need to know about just how good he was for Toronto. Clemens made 67 starts for the Jays and won the pitching Triple Crown in both '97 and '98, winning the American League Cy Young award both seasons. The following February Toronto traded him to the division rival Yankees in exchange for David Wells, Graeme Lloyd, and Homer Bush in a deal the team would almost certainly wish they could get back. 

Third baseman Josh Donaldson was just blossoming into an all-star caliber player in Oakland when the Blue Jays were able to acquire him in a November 2014 trade, and he would go on to take his game to entirely new heights north of the border. In his very first season with the Jays Donaldson slashed .297/.371/.568 with 41 homers and an American League-high 123 RBI's en route to winning the AL MVP award. His next two seasons were not nearly as dominant--though he did crush 33 or more homers in each campaign--and while his time in Toronto proved to be short-lived, he sure gave the Blue Jays faithful some exciting memories. 

First baseman Fred McGriff was involved in the earlier mentioned trade that brought Roberto Alomar to Toronto, and in that deal, McGriff landed in southern California with the Padres. Alomar was obviously the piece that elevated Toronto into World Series champs, but the reason they were able to acquire him was because of how good McGriff was in his own right. In the three seasons prior to the trade the 'Crime Dog' mashed 34, 36, and 35 home runs, but with young John Olerud ready to take over first base, acquiring Alomar was an opportunity the Jays couldn't pass up. Things worked out just fine for McGriff, who would play 19 seasons in the Major Leagues and earn a ticket to Cooperstown in 2023. 

Ernie Whitt was a serviceable catcher in Toronto for a dozen years, and was the Blue Jays starting catcher for all of the 1980s. Whitt was never considered a star, but he did make one all-star game appearance in 1985, and in over 1200 games for the Jays slashed .253/.327/.420 with 131 home runs. His primary objective was handling a strong pitching staff that included Dave Stieb and Jimmy Key, and he did that very well. 

Toronto selected Shannon Stewart 19th overall out of a high school in Miami, FL, in the 1992 MLB draft, and before too long he was a regular in the Blue Jays Major League outfield. Stewart appeared in parts of 10 seasons with Toronto, slashing a very strong .298/.365/.440 with 74 homers, 222 doubles, 34 triples and 166 stolen bases. A glance at the back of his baseball card makes you wonder how he was never selected to an all-star game, but the era he was playing in was so home run happy and perhaps the fact that he never hit more than 21 long balls in a single season is the reason. That being said, in my opinion Stewart was clearly one of the most underrated players in the American League, and while he also spent time with the Twins and Athletics, his best days came in a Blue Jays' uniform. 

Shortstop Bo Bichette was the Blue Jays' 2nd round pick in the 2016 draft, and it's safe to say the club knocked that selection out of the park--pun fully intended. Injuries hobbled Bichette in both '19 and '20, but in the three full seasons he's played in since then, he's emerged as easily one of the most dynamic players in the American League. The 25-year-old has led the league in hits twice, has crushed more than 20 homers in three straight years, driven in more than 90 runs twice, and has delivered three consecutive campaigns with 30+ doubles. He was chosen to play in the all-star game in both '21 and '23, and the Blue Jays look forward to him anchoring the middle of their infield for years to come.