Joel's MLB Franchise Top 10: Toronto Blue Jays

The fifth installment in my series in which I am choosing who I feel are the top 10 players in the history of each MLB franchise.

Since I am going in order from newest franchise to oldest, this is my first team with more than a decade or so of existence, so there were significantly more players to choose from, making it all that much harder to pick just 10.

The Blue Jays of the early 1990s were some of the best teams of recent memory, and therefore the list will be heavy on players from those teams, however, there are a few newer Jays sprinkled in.

I look forward to hearing what you agree with and more importantly what you disagree with, so feel free to comment. Up next is the Mariners, so be on the look out for that installment.

Honorable Mention

SP Pat Hentgen: 107-85, 4.28 ERA, 1028 Ks, 1996 AL Cy Young

SP Roger Clemens: 41-13, 2.33 ERA, 563 Ks, 2x Cy Young

SP David Wells: 84-55, 4.06 ERA, 784 Ks

SP Juan Guzman: 76-62, 4.07 ERA, 1030 Ks

C Ernie Whitt: .253 BA, 131 HR, 518 RBI, 1x All-Star

1B John Olerud: .293 BA, 109 HR, 471 RBI, 1x All-Star

OF Lloyd Moseby: 1319 hits, 255 SB

OF Vernon Wells: .280 BA, 192 HR, 725 RBI, 2x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove

OF Shawn Green: .286 BA, 119 HR, 376 RBI, 1x All-Star, 1x Gold Glove

OF Jesse Barfield: .265 BA, 179 HR, 527 RBI, 1986 HR Leader

OF Devon White: .270 BA, 126 SB, 5x Gold Glove

DH Paul Molitor: .315 BA, 51 HR, 256 RBI, 2x All-Star

No. 10: Tony Fernandez (1983-1990, 1993, 1998-1999, 2001)

BA: .297 (fifth)
OBP: .353
SLG: .412
H: 1583 (first)
HR: 60
RBI: 613 (sixth)
R: 704 (fourth)
SB: 172 (fourth)
4x All-Star
3x Gold Glove

Fernandez enjoyed four separate stints with the Blue Jays, making his MLB debut at the age of 21 in 1983 and retiring at 39 in 2001.

In his first stint with the team, Fernandez was not only a solid hitter, but was also among the leagues best defensive shortstops as he won four straight Gold Gloves from 1986-1989.

With his career seemingly stalled, he returned to the Jays in 1998 at the age of 36 and in two seasons he hit .321 and .328, finishing in the top ten in the AL in batting average and even making an All-Star appearance in 1998.

No. 9: Jimmy Key (1984-1992)

Wins: 116 (fourth)
Losses: 81 (fourth)
Win Percentage: .589 (sixth)
ERA: 3.42 (fourth)
ERA+: 121 (sixth)
WHIP: 1.196 (second)
Ks: 944 (sixth)
K/9: 5.0
2x All-Star

Originally this spot belonged to Roger Clemens for his two fantastic seasons in Toronto, but few will remember Clemens time with the team as he will go down in history as a Red Sox and Yankee, so I felt he didn't really belong.

Instead, I chose Key, who was among the 1980s best starters, and is hands down the best left hander in Jays history.

After logging ten saves as a reliever in his 1984 rookie season, Key joined the rotation and posted double digit wins every season from 1985 until leaving the team following the 1992 season.

His best year was the 1987 season, when he went 17-8, 2.76 ERA, 161 Ks as he led the AL in ERA and WHIP (1.057) and finished second in Cy Young voting.

No. 8: Duane Ward (1986-1993, 1995)

Appearances: 452 (first)
Saves: 121 (second)
ERA: 3.18
ERA+: 127 (fourth)
WHIP: 1.240 (fifth)
Ks: 671 (ninth)
K/9: 9.3 (second)
1x All-Star

Ward is hands down one of the best setup men in baseball history, as he bridged the gap from middle relief to Tom Henke.

From 1988-1992, Ward pitched over 100 innings each season while saving double digit games each season in an eighth inning role.

In 1993, with Henke gone, Ward finally got his chance to close, and he had a stellar season, leading the AL with 45 saves and 70 games finished as he finished fifth in Cy Young voting.

The rest of his career was injury riddled and 1995 was his last year in the majors, but he and Henke formed possibly the best eighth/ninth inning combination in baseball history.

No. 7: Tom Henke (1985-1992)

Appearances: 446 (second)
Saves: 217 (first)
ERA: 2.48
ERA+: 167 (first)
WHIP: 1.025 (first)
Ks: 644
K/9: 10.3 (first)
1x All-Star

Henke was among the most dominant closers of his era, and he finished in the top ten in saves in six of his eight seasons in Toronto.

After playing sparingly for the Rangers for three seasons, Henke came to the Jays in 1985 and immediately became the teams closer, saving 13 games and finishing seventh in ROY voting and garnering some MVP consideration.

The next seven seasons he logged at least 20 saves each season and led the league with 34 saves in 1987.

Even more impressively, he only had an ERA higher than 3.00 once in his eight seasons, with his best being a 1.92 in 1987.

No. 6: George Bell (1981, 1983-1990)

BA: .286 (eighth)
OBP: .325
SLG: .486 (fourth)
H: 1294 (fifth)
HR: 202 (third)
RBI: 740 (second)
R: 641 (fifth)
SB: 59
2x All-Star
3x Silver Slugger
1x MVP

Bell was the Blue Jays' first big name slugger, and he had some huge seasons in his time with the Blue Jays. However, his best season by far came in 1987.

With a line of .308 BA, 47 HR, 134 RBI, Bell took home the AL MVP as he led the AL in RBI and set a Blue Jays franchise record for single season home runs that still stands today.

No. 5: Roberto Alomar (1991-1995)

BA: .307 (first)
OBP: .382 (fifth)
SLG: .451
H: 832
HR: 55
RBI: 342
R: 451
SB: 206 (second)
5x All-Star
5x Gold Glove
1x Silver Slugger

Alomar was just coming into his prime in his time with the Blue Jays, as he was still more of a table setter than a hitter with much power, but he was fantastic nonetheless.

He was an All-Star and a Gold Glove winner in each of his five season with the team and finished sixth in MVP voting three straight seasons as well.

His best season came in 1993, when he put together a line of .326 BA, 17 HR, 93 RBI, 55 SB and went on to hit .480 in the World Series.

No. 4: Joe Carter (1991-1997)

BA: .257
OBP: .308
SLG: .473 (seventh)
H: 1051 (seventh)
HR: 203 (second)
RBI: 736 (third)
R: 578 (seventh)
SB: 78
5x All-Star
2x Silver Slugger

Despite a less than stellar batting average, Carter was among the most feared sluggers of the 1990s, and he hit perhaps the most dramatic home run in baseball history as a member of the Jays.

In his seven seasons with the team, he hit at least 20 HR each season and drove in over 100 in all but one season, despite not hitting higher than .273 in any season.

However, his crowning moment with the Blue Jays and in his career came in Game Six of the 1993 World Series when he hit a walk-off three run home run against the Phillies' Mitch Williams to clinch the World Series for the Jays.

No. 3: Roy Halladay (1998-2009)

Wins: 148 (second)
Losses: 76 (fifth)
Win Percentage: .661 (second)
ERA: 3.43 (fifth)
ERA+: 133 (second)
WHIP: 1.198 (third)
Ks: 1495 (second)
K/9: 6.6 (seventh)
6x All-Star
1x Cy Young

Halladay, after a pedestrian 18-17 record in his first four seasons, broke out for a 19-7 season in 2002 and has since been on of the games most reliable starters.

He has led the AL in complete games five times since 2003 and has won at 16 or more games six times since 2002.

His Cy Young season came in 2003, when he went 22-7, 3.25 ERA, 204 Ks, leading the AL in wins, CG (9), SHO (2), and IP (266).

His time in Toronto is over, but his legacy will live on as he is unquestionably one of the best pitchers of the 2000s and in team history.

No. 2: Dave Stieb (1979-1992, 1998)

Wins: 175 (first)
Losses: 134 (second)
Win Percentage: .566 (seventh)
ERA: 3.42 (third)
ERA+: 123 (fifth)
WHIP: 1.241 (sixth)
Ks: 1658 (first)
K/9: 5.2
7x All-Star

Stieb, the second winningest pitcher of the 1980s, was among the best pitchers of the last 30 years, and he had stellar season after stellar season as a member of the Jays.

In his 15 seasons, Stieb won double digit games 10 times and topped the 15-win mark an impressive six times.

He had the best stretch of his career from 1988-1990, as he averaged a 17-7, 3.11 ERA, 124 Ks line while making a pair of All-Star games. He also tallied 103 CG and 30 SHO in his Jays career, both franchise bests.

With Roy Halladay's Jays career over, I think it is safe to say that Stieb can still be considered the best pitcher in Blue Jays history.

No. 1: Carlos Delgado (1993-2004)

BA: .282
OBP: .392 (second)
SLG: .556 (first)
H: 1413 (second)
HR: 336 (first)
RBI: 1058 (first)
R: 889 (first)
SB: 9
2x All-Star
3x Silver Slugger

From 1998-2003, there was arguably no better slugger in the American League than Delgado, as he averaged .295 BA, 40 HR, 124 RBI.

He had three seasons of at least 40 HR and 130 RBI, with his best season coming in 2000 when he hit .344 BA, 41 HR, 137 RBI and finishing fourth in each of the Triple Crown categories.

He is the best power hitter the Blue Jays have ever had, and in my opinion is the best player in the teams franchise history.