- Carlos Delgado is the greatest Blue Jays first baseman.
- Fred McGriff posted the highest wRC+ among Jays first basemen.
- John Olerud has the second-highest fWAR.
The franchise leaders in offensive bWAR, OPS+, and on-base percentage were all first basemen. I had a lot to consider when trying to pick the best Toronto Blue Jays first basemen of all time.
While the top four were settled quickly, it was trickier trying to decide which order to put them in. Fifth place wasn’t easy either, given the number of candidates with similar production.
Five Best Toronto Blue Jays First Basemen
| Rank | Player | Blue Jays Years |
| 1 | Carlos Delgado | 1993-2004 |
| 2 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 2019-Present |
| 3 | Fred McGriff | 1986-90 |
| 4 | John Olerud | 1989-96 |
| 5 | Justin Smoak | 2015-19 |
1. Carlos Delgado
Boasting the highest offensive bWAR and the most home runs, Carlos Delgado was a two-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger during Toronto’s postseason drought. Even with Delgado delivering elite production at first base, Blue Jays odds often had Toronto as an outsider to make the playoffs.
With a 139 OPS+ and over 330 home runs, Delgado is one of the most underrated players of his generation. The Puerto Rican holds a catalogue of Blue Jays records, plus he was very consistent with a 127 OPS+ or better in every season from 1997 onwards.
2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
One of the AL MVP favourites at the BetMGM sportsbook in 2021, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a couple of down years in 2022 and 2023 but was back to his destructive best in 2024 with a 166 OPS+.
Guerrero will break many of Delgado’s records if he stays with the team. Given the talent around the majors, there’s no guarantee of winning an MVP, but I expect Guerrero to be a perennial All-Star and collect a few more Silver Sluggers.
3. Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff’s 153 OPS+ is the highest of any Blue Jays hitter. Despite playing only three full seasons, McGriff put up gaudy numbers with 125 home runs and 19.4 bWAR. He had top 10 MVP finishes in 1989 and 1990.
Toronto ultimately traded McGriff to the San Diego Padres with Tony Fernández. With Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter going the other way, the deal worked out long-term for the franchise, but it keeps McGriff outside the top two in my rankings.
4. John Olerud
Despite having different power than the three hitters ahead of him, John Olerud was a consistent first baseman. Olerud was integral when the Jays were among the favourites in baseball playoff odds in the early 1990s.
A two-time champion as a Jay, Olerud also registered a third-place MVP finish when he had a 1.072 OPS in 1993. It was comfortably the best year of his career at the plate and the highest single-season OPS+ in Jays history.
5. Justin Smoak
There were no standout candidates behind the top four. Edwin Encarnación was at first base for less than half of his games as a Blue Jay, and Willie Upshaw only had a 104 wRC+.
Justin Smoak was a poor defender at first, leading to only 6.6 fWAR, but his wRC+ was better than Adam Lind’s, and he played over 130 more games than John Mayberry.
