Top 5 Blue Jay greats that never made the playoffs

Image Credit: Scott Halleran/Canadian Press

Carlos Delgado – 1B
Blue Jays years 1993 – 2004

Delgado signed as an amatuer free agent out of the Puerto Rico in 1988 at the age of 16.  He would go onto become one of the best offensive players to ever wear a Blue Jays uniform.  Delgado was one of the most feared hitters in baseball while he was with the Blue Jays.  He started from humble beginnings and was a top prospect as a catcher in the Jays organization.  He bounced around from position to position in his first years with the Jays.  They knew their top prospect could hit but they tried him in the outfield and behind the plate before he finally stuck at first base.  Now that he finally had a home at first base in 1996 he budded into a star.  1996 was his first full season and he got in the swing of things quick.  He would go onto bat .270 with 25 homers and 92 RBIs.  The offensive machine was clicking.  His offensive numbers would continue to grow from year to year and then in 1999 he eclipsed the 40 home run mark for the first time.  He would finish the 99′ season with 44 home runs and a gaudy 134 RBIs with a Silver Slugger award.  He would put up similar ridiculous numbers in the 2000 season where he would go on to finish 4th in the MVP voting and won his second Silver Slugger award and was named to his first All-Star team.  In the year 2003 the ever impressive Delgado put up his should have been crowning season.  Finishing 2nd in the MVP race to only to *Alex Rodriguez‘s career year.*  Delgado’s All-Start 2003 season included a .302 batting average with 42 homers and 145 RBIs.  He also scored 117 runs and won yet another Silver Slugger award.

Delgado would spend his last season with the Jays in 2004 and he spent a decent part of it on the disabled list.  A down season in which he still played 128 games but still managed to bash 32 homers and drive in 99 runners.  What a “down” year.  Delgado would sign a big 4 year contract with the Marlins after the 2004 season as the Blue Jays started yet another rebuild.  He was eventually traded to the Mets after one solid season with the Marlins and would make his only postseason appearance.  Delgado did not disappoint in the 2006 postseason.  In the NLDS he collected 3 hits with a homer and 2 RBI’s in the Mets first round sweep of the Dodgers.  In the NLCS he continued to mash and contributed 3 home runs and 9 RBI’s.  The Mets would lose the 7 game seriese to the Cardinals but at no fault to Delgado it appears.

Delgado had 6 seasons in a row were he had at least 33 home runs with over 100 RBIs wit the Blue Jays and just missed one more by one RBI.  He was the mark of consistent offense as he made a career out of making the Sky Dome look small.  Delgado is the franchise leader in most offensive categories.  He is the top of the list currently in Runs (889), Doubles (343), home runs (336), RBIs (1058), walks (827), and SLG. (.556), and OPS (.949)

Jays Career WAR – 36

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