- Dave Stieb has the most bWAR of any player in Blue Jays history.
- Roy Halladay and Roberto Alomar are the only former Blue Jays players to have their numbers retired.
- Carlos Delgado has the most plate appearances and the best OPS in franchise history.
Since their first season in 1977, the Toronto Blue Jays have won two World Series and provided two American League MVP winners. Often a team with solid World Series odds, Toronto has been home to some iconic baseball players.
From the glories of 1992 and 1993 to Hall of Fame performers in the 21st century, numerous great players have worn the Blue Jays jersey.
Here’s my list of the greatest Blue Jays ever.
15 Best Toronto Blue Jays Players of All Time
| Rank | Player | Position | Blue Jays Years |
| 1 | Roy Halladay | Starting Pitcher | 1998-2009 |
| 2 | Dave Stieb | Starting Pitcher | 1979-1992, 1998 |
| 3 | Jose Bautista | Right Fielder | 2008-2017 |
| 4 | Carlos Delgado | First Baseman | 1993-2004 |
| 5 | Tony Fernandez | Shortstop | 1983-1990, 1998-99, 2001 |
| 6 | Jimmy Key | Starting Pitcher | 1984-1992 |
| 7 | Roger Clemens | Starting Pitcher | 1997-1998 |
| 8 | Jim Clancy | Starting Pitcher | 1977-88 |
| 9 | Paul Molitor | Designated Hitter | 1993-95 |
| 10 | Roberto Alomar | Second Baseman | 1991-95 |
| 11 | Josh Donaldson | Third Baseman | 2015-18 |
| 12 | Jesse Barfield | Right Fielder | 1981-89 |
| 13 | John Olerud | First Baseman | 1989-96 |
| 14 | Tom Henke | Relief Pitcher | 1985-92 |
| 15 | Edwin Encarnacion | Designated Hitter | 2009-16 |
1. Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay trails Dave Stieb in multiple franchise categories, but Halladay takes the top spot here due to his peak. He won the 2003 Cy Young with an MLB-leading 266 innings and had two more top-three finishes.
Halladay posted a 133 ERA+ during his time in Toronto, which is well clear of Stieb’s mark. There’s no right answer, but I just give Halladay the edge.
2. Dave Stieb
Dave Stieb is the franchise leader in bWAR with 56.8. He’s pitched the most innings, has the most strikeouts, and has by far the most shutouts.
Stieb had plenty of highs, including twice leading the American League in ERA+, but he had just two finishes in the top five of Cy Young voting. He was a true workhorse, yet a career 123 ERA+ isn’t quite enough for No. 1 on my rankings.
3. Jose Bautista
Jose Bautista’s legacy is much more than a huge bat flip and a brawl with Rougned Odor. Bautista has the most bWAR among all Blue Jays position players, plus he earned six straight All-Star selections from 2010 to 2015.
After leading MLB in OPS and crushing 43 homers, Bautista was arguably unlucky to miss out on the MVP award in 2011. He received MVP votes in three other seasons as a Blue Jay and was integral in two teams that reached the ALCS.
4. Carlos Delgado
Leading the franchise in OPS (.949), plate appearances (6018) and home runs (336), Carlos Delgado had to be included among the greatest players in Blue Jays history.
20 years ago today: Carlos Delgado’s FOUR homer game! 💪 pic.twitter.com/MLtyjBjWzV
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 25, 2023
Delgado led the league in OPS in 2003 and was unlucky to finish as runner-up to Alex Rodriguez in MVP voting. With such spectacular offensive production, it’s remarkable Delgado was only named an All-Star on two occasions.
5. Tony Fernandez
Tony Fernandez has the second-most bWAR among Blue Jays position players. Fernandez was an elite defender at shortstop, winning four straight Gold Gloves between 1986 and 1989, and earning three All-Star selections in that period.
Offensively, the Dominican held his own with a 106 OPS+ as a Blue Jay. He ranks third in plate appearances and sixth in batting average in franchise history.
6. Jimmy Key
Third in pitcher bWAR behind Halladay and Stieb, Jimmy Key was a two-time All-Star as a Blue Jay and pitched to a 2.66 ERA across six World Series appearances on his way to two rings.
Key is tied with Stieb for the third-best ERA in franchise history. Just three pitchers have started more games for the franchise.
While he went on to play for the Yankees and Orioles, Key’s best season was in 1987 with Toronto, when he won the ERA title and finished second in Cy Young voting.
7. Roger Clemens
This is the most controversial selection of my rankings, seeing as Roger Clemens only spent two seasons as a Blue Jay. Clemens won the Cy Young in each of those years, however, pitching almost 500 regular season innings with a 196 ERA+.
Only six pitchers in franchise history have amassed more bWAR than Clemens. David Wells, who was the main piece Toronto received when they traded Clemens, went on to finish third in Cy Young voting as a Blue Jay in 2000.
He might not have the counting stats of others, but Clemens is clearly one of the best Blue Jays ever, even if steroid allegations keep him out of Cooperstown.
8. Jim Clancy
Fifth in bWAR among all pitchers and fourth in fWAR, I am comfortable having Jim Clancy as high as eighth in these rankings.
Clancy’s 28 fWAR is far from fifth place, and he’s only 0.1 behind Key. Stieb is the only pitcher who has thrown more innings as a Jay.
While Clancy was only named an All-Star occasionally and had some down years, his durability throughout the franchise’s first decade was invaluable.
9. Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor’s time in Toronto was short, yet his impact was enormous. Molitor became one of the baseball odds favourites for AL MVP in 1993 before finishing as runner-up to Frank Thomas.
He posted a 1.000 OPS in the World Series thanks to eight extra-base hits. The former Milwaukee Brewer was named World Series MVP as the Jays won the second of back-to-back titles.
10. Roberto Alomar
Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar won five consecutive Gold Gloves across his five seasons as a Blue Jay. Alomar was also a two-time World Series winner, a five-time All-Star, and recorded three straight sixth-placed MVP finishes.
The accolades are impressive, yet Alomar is still only tied for ninth in position player bWAR. Ten players have a better wRC+ for the Blue Jays.
11. Josh Donaldson
Josh Donaldson only played three full seasons as a Blue Jay, but his production was enough to place him 11th in these rankings.
Donaldson won the franchise’s second AL MVP award and amassed 18.2 bWAR over his first three years as a Jay, hitting 11 home runs with a 151 OPS+.
12. Jesse Barfield
Fourth in fWAR among position players and a two-time Gold Glove winner, Jesse Barfield was a solid performer for the Blue Jays for most of the 1980s.
Barfield led the majors in homers and finished fifth in MVP voting in 1985. However, much of the value came from the defensive side of the ball, so his offensive numbers are particularly impressive compared to Donaldson, Molitor, and others on this list.
13. John Olerud
Winner of the Jays’ only batting title, eighth in position player fWAR, and seventh in wRC+, I had to find a place for John Olerud.
Perhaps I was a bit harsh putting Olerud this low down, given that he was part of the core that won two titles and was a comfortably above-average hitter throughout his Jays career.
He was good rather than great in the two playoff runs, though, and he only had one elite season at the plate.
14. Tom Henke
WAR numbers will never make a strong case for relief pitchers in rankings of this nature. However, Tom Henke has 96 more saves than any other Blue Jay and was a reliable closer for over a decade.
Henke’s 21.3 K-BB% is the best of any Jays pitcher. No pitcher left a higher percentage of runners on base, and his ERA+ is far clear of any other Blue Jay with over 500 innings.
15. Edwin Encarnación
Only four players have a better wRC+ than Edwin Encarnación. Delgado and Bautista are the only two players to have hit more home runs as a Blue Jay.
While Encarnación didn’t provide any defensive value as he was primarily a DH, he was one of the most reliable hitters in the majors throughout his time in Toronto. He averaged 39 home runs per season with a 146 OPS+ from 2012 to 2016.
