Which Blue Jays broadcaster had the best playing career?

Before playing professional softball for three seasons, split between the USSSA Pride and the Dallas Charge, Madison Shipman played four years of college ball with the Tennessee Lady Vols. Her teams made consecutive appearances in the College World Series in 2012 and 2013.

After she wrapped her college career at Tennessee, Shipman was drafted second overall in the 2014 National Pro Fastpitch draft. Her impressive rookie campaign earned her Rookie of the Year honours and a national title with the USSSA Pride in her first year of pro softball.

Other accolades from Shipman’s career include an SEC Player of the Year award in 2014 and a Honda Sports Award in 2014. Whether it’s in front of the camera as an in-studio analyst or a colour commentator on the radio broadcast, Shipman’s wealth of success and experience is invaluable to the Blue Jays’ broadcasts.

Joe Siddall (catcher): -0.6 fWAR

The first of two Canucks on this list, Joe Siddall suited up for the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, and his “hometown” Detroit Tigers just across from his home of Windsor, Ontario.

Siddall had a cup of coffee with all three organizations as a backup catcher, but he also played all over the minor leagues as a member of the Ottawa Lynx, Pawtucket Red Sox and the Charlotte Knights.

Across three teams, he played 29 games in the majors with a .169/.244/.225 slash line, but to be fair, Siddall was brought in as a defensive catcher and to call games. He hit his first MLB home run on August 7, 1998, off Seattle Mariners starter Jeff Fassero.

Chris Leroux (pitcher): 0.8 fWAR

Relatively new to the broadcast booth, Chris Leroux was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2002 draft. He chose not to sign and instead played college ball for a few years before being drafted once again in the 2005 draft, this time by the Miami Marlins.

After three years in the Marlins’ minor league system, Leroux made his MLB debut on May 26, 2009, against the Philadelphia Phillies. He finished the game, pitching two innings of one-run relief, facing nine batters. Leroux had stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees in the following seasons.

Before he hung up his cleats, Leroux was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies organization to the Blue Jays in April 2016. He spent the season at Triple-A, pitching to a 4.87 ERA in 26 games with the Bisons.

The Montreal native also represented Canada at the World Baseball Classic in 2009 and 2013 and the Pan-Am Games in 2015 and 2019. Following his minor league career, Leroux was named as the bachelor on The Bachelor Canada in 2017.

Caleb Joseph (catcher): 4.3 fWAR

You might remember him as the Blue Jays player who played air drums to YYZ at spring training, or the dude who gave an inspirational speech on the field after the Blue Jays clinched a playoff spot in 2020. Or heck, even the player who got thrown behind by Marcus Stroman in 2014.

But Caleb Joseph had a decent run as the starting catcher for the Baltimore Orioles from 2014 to 2018, before settling into a backup catcher role with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019 and the Blue Jays in 2020. Joseph was always revered for his defensive play as a catcher, and anything he contributed on offense was gravy.

Most of his value came on the defensive side, with a career 4.3 fWAR in 425 games across seven seasons in the big leagues.

Buck Martinez (catcher): 6.7 fWAR

The true GOAT among former Blue Jays players turned broadcasters, Buck Martinez, leads all current Blue Jays TV and radio personalities with 6.7 FanGraphs WAR in his career. He was the right-handed hitting component of the Blue Jays’ catching platoon split between Martinez and Ernie Whitt.

He never topped more than 102 games played in a single season, but Martinez made his presence felt during his tenure in Toronto. He was most famously involved in the only 9-2-7-2 double play in MLB history, as Martinez helped turn a double play after suffering a broken leg at home plate.