- Cito Gaston is the only manager in Blue Jays history to win a World Series.
- Of managers to oversee more than 43 games, current Blue Jays manager John Schneider has the best winning percentage.
- John Gibbons' 10 postseason wins are the second-most among all Blue Jays managers.
While it’s hard to quantify the impact of a manager when it comes to analyzing MLB odds, there’s no question some managers are better than others. The best Toronto Blue Jays managers of all time are testament to this, with deep postseason runs and division titles to their names.
Being a successful MLB manager is about more than bullpen management. Managers must be able to work with different personalities and know when to make changes to the lineup.
Here are the five best Toronto Blue Jays managers ever:
Best Toronto Blue Jays Managers of All Time
| Rank | Manager | Years |
| 1 | Cito Gaston | 1989-1991; 1992-1997; 2008-2010 |
| 2 | Bobby Cox | 1982-1985 |
| 3 | John Gibbons | 2013-2018 |
| 4 | John Schneider | 2022-Present |
| 5 | Jimy Williams | 1986-1989 |
1. Cito Gaston
Winner of the most games in franchise history (894), and the only manager to bring a World Series to Toronto, Cito Gaston was a lock for top spot in these rankings.
No other manager has taken the Jays to the Fall Classic. Gaston did so in consecutive years in the early 1990s, winning back-to-back titles. In the year previous, he went 77-49 as manager after taking over for Jimy Williams.
Regardless of what the powers that be say, Cito Gaston is a bonafide Hall of Famer in my books. pic.twitter.com/Nbio0qzbbS
— Blue Jays (Grand) Dad (@BlueJaysDad) December 4, 2023
Gaston was elected into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. He had a second stint with the Jays between 2008 and 2010, but failed to repeat his previous glories.
2. Bobby Cox
Bobby Cox’s 355 wins as Blue Jays manager are a distant third. Cox, though, posted a .549 winning percentage during his time in Toronto, which is only bettered by John Schneider.
Cox was named American League Manager of the Year in 1985 and won the division. Unfortunately, Toronto blew a 3-2 lead against the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS.
The Tulsa native went on to win five National League pennants and a World Series with the Atlanta Braves.
3. John Gibbons
John Gibbons’ 793 wins are over double what Cox achieved. Gibbons had two spells in charge of the Jays, going exactly .500 in his first stint before posting a .502 winning percentage between 2013 and 2018.
His record in his second tenure was dragged down by poor years in 2017 and 2018. In 2015, Gibbons led the Jays to their first division title in 22 years and orchestrated a Wild Card win in 2016. Both playoff appearances ended with losses in the ALCS.
4. John Schneider
It might seem early to include John Schneider on this list. Nine former Jays managers have more wins. He’s yet to win a postseason game.
Schneider’s .572 winning percentage (as of the end of the 2023 season) is the best of any permanent Jays manager, though.
Congrats to John Schneider on his 100th career victory 👏👏👏
He ties Cito Gaston as the fastest in franchise history to reach the century mark! pic.twitter.com/IDBDcU9feI
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 20, 2023
He went 46-28 to get Toronto into the postseason in 2022 after replacing Charlie Montoyo and took full advantage of the recently expanded playoffs to take a Wild Card spot in 2023.
5. Jimy Williams
Jimy Williams’ time as Blue Jays manager ended in difficult circumstances with a 12-24 start to the 1989 season. Williams was replaced by Gaston, who got the Jays on track and took them to the postseason.
Williams still deserves credit for his time as manager. He won 86, 96 and 87 games in 1986, 1987 and 1988, respectively.
The Jays were unfortunate to miss out on the playoffs in 1987. Williams made Toronto competitive when the franchise was still in its infancy, and set the platform for the success Gaston enjoyed in the following seasons.