Toronto Blue Jays Poll: Best Hitter of All Time, Round 1

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Jays Journal is looking for fans to choose the Greatest Blue Jays of All Time! Have your say in Round One of the Hitters Bracket. Vote now!

To help heat up the Blue Jays discussion in these cold winter months, we decided to create a reader poll where you, the fans, get to vote for and choose the Greatest Blue Jays of All Time. Obviously, this will spark a great deal of debate. And, it should. We all have our favorites. But, can we say that they are the greatest of all time?

Comparing players in this fashion can get a little crazy, depending on how deeply you dive into their career numbers, etc. And, that is the beauty of this exercise. You get to choose the greatest of all time based on whatever scheme you’d like to use. Perhaps you value a special home run more than games played. Maybe you prefer to recognize longevity. That’s completely your call. Rather than our staff choosing, we’d rather hear what you have to say.

Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays /

Toronto Blue Jays

Here’s how it’ll work:

  • It can be difficult to compare hitters to pitchers, so we’ll have two separate brackets, here. We’ll crown a Greatest Blue Jays Hitter of All Time and a Greatest Blue Jays Pitcher of All Time. Then, we’ll see how they fare against each other, which is really just so we can declare one winner.
  • We’ll offer 16 hitters and 16 pitchers. You’ll have the chance to vote in each round in a head to head matchup. The winner advances.
  • We’ve excluded guys who’ve only been with the club for a short period of time. This is not to minimize their impact (We see you, Josh Donaldson!), but when you’re talking the Greatest of All Time, we have to look to set a soft minimum as far as time served.
  • When you select your choice, please use the comment section to defend it if you feel the need. This is where the real fun will take place; in the debate!
  • Obviously, we can’t include everyone. There are bound to be some contentious snubs. Feel free to let us know who you feel should have made the cut and why.
  • This is by no means a scientific poll. Is there really a scientific method for calculating “greatness”? It is meant for fun. So, please. Enjoy!

Let’s get to it! We present all 16 choices in Round 1 of the Greatest Blue Jays Hitters of All Time!

Next: Matchup #1: The Battle of the Ws

Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup #1: Vernon Wells vs Ernie Whitt

We kick things off with an interesting matchup. Both of these guys have established themselves in Blue Jays lore. Whitt is arguably the most popular catcher in Blue Jays history. Many have said that Wells is the last truly successful position player the Blue Jays drafted and developed.

Whitt was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in June of 1972. He played 12 straight seasons for the Blue Jays starting in their first season in existence- 1977. In 1218 games with the Blue Jays, Whitt hit .253/.327/.420 with 888 hits including 131 HR. He is 5th on the all time list for games played in a Blue Jays uniform. He had his best season in 1989 (his last in Toronto) where he hit .262 and was worth 2.9 WAR and a wRC+ of 116. Defensively, Whitt was never the best at the backstop position, though Fangraphs.com puts his defense at a surprising value of 82.3 over his career.

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Wells is 3rd on the club’s all time games played list with 1393. He scored 789 total runs, which is 2nd all time. He’s hit 223 home runs, good for 3rd among Blue Jays hitters. And, he ranks 2nd in hits with 1529. The Blue Jays drafted Wells with the 5th pick overall in 1997 at the age of 18. He would make his debut 2 years later and go on to spend 12 seasons with the club.

In his prime, he was easily the team’s best hitter and the Face of the Franchise. The team believed in him so much that they offered him the richest contract in club history: 7yrs/$126M. It was this very deal that became the reason fans took his declining play so hard. His contract was traded to the Angels in 2010. Wells played great defense in center field until the later part of the 2000’s when his mobility became an issue as evidenced by his rapid decline in UZR/150.

Next: Matchup 2: Kickin' It Old School

T Fernandez on Level of Excellence. Credit: S Doyle

Matchup 2: Tony Fernandez vs Jesse Barfield

This matchup features a couple of guys who played together on the magical team of 1985. In the franchise’s 9th year in operation, this team won the first division title in its history. These two players each had their own impact, not only on that team, but on the books of Blue Jays history.

Fernandez is the club’s all time leader in games played with 1450! He reached this total in parts of 12 seasons in 3 different stops between 1983 and 2001. He also leads the franchise in hits with 1583. As a Jay, he is a .297/.353/.412 hitter with 172 stolen bases.

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  • Tony was better known for his glove. He won 4 Gold Gloves while with the Blue Jays. Primarily a short stop, he also manned third base early in his career and second near the end. Fangraphs lists his TZ (total zone rating in runs above average) at 43 for his career. Though, over his career, he committed 151 errors, including 30 in 1985 and 20 in ’91. Fernandez will always be known as part of the cost of trading for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter.

    Barfield played in 1032 games for the Blue Jays from 1981 to 1989. He’d go on to play 3+ seasons with the New York Yankees before calling it a career 1992. Barfield won 2 Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger with the Blue Jays. He hit 179 HR and hit .265/.334/.483 in Toronto. He formed the formidable outfield of that 1985 team with two guys who will also appear later in this Greatest Blue Jays competition.

    A 9th round pick in 1977, Barfield was also known for his glove. For his career, his defense had a value of 104.3 (according to Fangraphs). His 39 career WAR, though, was helped out by some big seasons with the bat, like in 1985 where he put up wRC+ totals of 142 and 147 the next season. He was worth 7 and 7.5 WAR those seasons; a big reason the club won the division in ’85.

    Next: Matchup 3: Shaker or Touch 'Em All?

    Joe Carter Level of Excellence- S Doyle

    Matchup 3: Lloyd Moseby vs Joe Carter

    The Shaker leads the Toronto Blue Jays with 255 stolen bases in 10 seasons with the club. He stole 30+ 5 times in a row from ’84-’89. He also stole 24+ 2 other times. He’d go on to play two more seasons in Detroit and add 25 more over those final years. His speed was his calling card. He also tallied 15 triples in 1984. He won a Silver Slugger in 1983, hitting 18 HR, 81 RBI and 31 doubles.

    In 1978, the Blue Jays drafted Moseby 2nd overall. The Braves selected Bob Horner ahead of him. For his career, Moseby is a 26 WAR player who put up his best offensive season in 1983 with a wRC+ of 135, hitting .315. As a center fielder, his ZR sits at 12 for his career, but was as high as 20 in 1984.

    Carter came to the Blue Jays from the San Diego Padres in what many call the franchise altering deal heading into the 1991 season. After coming over to Toronto, he appeared in 1039 games over 7+ seasons. At the time of the trade he’d put up two straight seasons of playing in 162 games with the Indians and Padres. He’d repeat that in 1991, his first season with the club and first as an All Star. He’s a 5 time All Star and 2 time Silver Slugger winner who finished as high as 3rd in MVP voting in 1992.

    Joltin’ Joe was not known for his glove. At all. He was a big bat the Blue Jays enjoyed in the prime of its career. He’s 4th on the all time HR list with 203. But, none of that really matters because he will never have to buy dinner in Toronto again after hitting the walk off World Series blast against the Phillies in 1993. That laser to LF gave the Blue Jays their 2nd championship in a row and Canada its first MLB championship won on home soil. It was the setting for arguably the greatest call in Blue Jays history: “Touch ’em all, Joe. You’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life.”

    Next: Matchup 4: Stewart vs Upshaw

    Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

    Matchup 4: Willie Upshaw vs Shannon Stewart

    Upshaw played in 1115 games with the Blue Jays after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft when the league expanded. He remained with the Blue Jays through 1987. During that time he hit .265/.336/.426 with 112 HR and 478 RBI. He also scored 538 runs for Toronto. He’s a career 12.5 WAR player, who’s best year came in 1983 when he reached 4.5 WAR.

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    That year, he hit 27 HR and 104 RBI in 160 games with a wRC+ of 137. It was definitely his bat that won Upshaw praise. As a first baseman, his defensive value is a career -44.2. Though, his career TZ rating at the position is 36. He committed 21 errors in 1983. That seems a bit high for a first baseman, no?

    Stewart was drafted by the Blue Jays in 1992 with the 19th overall pick. He played 907 games with Toronto over parts of 10+ seasons. He’s a career .299 hitter  who ranks 2nd in that category among all time Blue Jays. His Blue Jays OBP sits at .365. He represented a true leadoff hitter, the likes of which we’ve not seen around these parts in a long time.

    Stewart stole 166 bases for the Blue Jays, which is good for 5th all time. In 1998, he stole a remarkable 51 bags to lead the league. He would steal 37 more the following year. He’s a career 21.4 WAR player whose peak came in the 2000 season, when it hit 4.9. Mostly playing in LF, Stewart totaled a TZ rating of 4 in LF, -5 in CF and 1 in RF for his career.

    Next: Matchup 5: Devo or EE?

    Matchup 5: Devon White vs Edwin Encarnacion

    Devo played 656 games with the Blue Jays from 1991 through 1995 and patrolled center field for the back to back championship teams in ’92 and ’93. In 5 seasons with Toronto, he managed 126 stolen bases, which is good for 6th all time. He was only caught 23 times in those 5 years! He was the one to start off the most famous lineup in Blue Jays history: WAMCO! Any Blue Jay fan knows what this acronym means. And, White was the table setter.

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    In each of those 5 seasons, he won a Gold Glove Award for his play in CF, where his career TZ rating is 114! In 16 years of playing CF, he’d only make 65 errors in total. That’s part of the reason that Fangraphs lists his career defensive value at 150.6. It was the effortless glide he used to track down any ball hit to him that made him fun to watch. It was certainly what helped him make the leaping catch at the wall that started off the phantom triple play in the 1992 World Series.

    Encarnacion’s time as a Blue Jay didn’t get off to the best start. His defense was questionable at 3rd base, which earned him the nickname “E5”. When the Blue Jays had traded Scott Rolen for him, Blue Jays fans knew he could hit, but were surprised by his glove. The team parted ways with Edwin for a brief period of time, but brought him back and changed their plans for him.

    The move to first base/ DH was a great one. Now, EE doesn’t have to worry about errors bringing him down and impacting his bat. Currently, he sits in 6th place on the club’s all time HR list at 197. Assuming health, etc 2016 should see him climb to as high as 2nd. He needs 27 to pass Wells for that spot. Over the last few years, we’ve watched him become one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball and form the toughest heart of the order in baseball. When he is locked in, there is not a better hitter around.

    Next: Matchup 6: Battle of the Hair

    Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

    Matchup 6: George Bell vs Kelly Gruber

    This matchup features two guys who really rocked the flow from under their ballcaps. Bell is one of the iconic Blue Jays. Everyone knows him. Though, the same can likely be said for everyone on this list. He was part of the outfield in that magical 1985 run. He played in 1181 games for Toronto from 1981 through 1990 before departing for both Chicago teams. He ranks 5th all time in HR with 202. He’s also 3rd in RBI with 740.

    During his time in Toronto, Bell finished in the top 10 in MVP voting 4 times and won it in 1987. He was the first MVP winner in Blue Jays history. That year, he hit 47 HR and 134 RBI for a whopping 369 total bases. He also won 3 Silver Slugger Awards for his efforts. He’s a career 20.2 WAR player who hit 5.3 in his MVP season. Bell will not be remembered as a great outfielder, but him going to his knees after catching the out that clinched the club’s first AL East championship ever will be imprinted in the minds of Blue Jays fans forever.

    Gruber played 921 games for Toronto from through 1992 and was instrumental in bringing the franchise’s first World Series Championship. You’ll recall that he made the diving tag at the back end of that phantom triple play in the ’92 World Series. To this day, he swears that he tagged Deion Sanders. For his career, Gruber’s TZ rating is 16 at the hot corner. Fangraphs values his career defense at 20.6.

    In 1990, Gruber was an All Star, a Gold Glove winner and a Silver Slugger. He finished 4th in MVP voting after having the best year of his career where he hit 31 HR and 118 RBI. That year he was worth 4.3 WAR. In 1988, he was worth 5.3. He’s a career 14.7 WAR player. He didn’t take many walks for his career, never reaching more than 48 in a season. His career rate is 5.7%.

    Next: Matchup 7: The Battle of First Base

    Delgado on Level of Excellence Credit: S Doyle/Jays Journal

    Matchup 7: John Olerud vs Carlos Delgado

    This matchup features two of the best players to ever wear a Blue Jays first baseman’s glove. One leads the franchise in nearly every offensive category. The other helped round out WAMCO and deliver a World Series.

    Olerud played in 902 games for Toronto from 1989 through 1996. He would spend another 9 years in the big leagues before calling it quits. As a Blue Jay, he’d slash .293/.395/.471. He was an on base threat, for sure. During his time in Toronto, his lowest OBP mark was .353 and that number was closer to .400 more often than not. His best season came in 1993 when he was flirting with hitting .400 for most of the season. He’d end up with a .363 mark with an eye popping .473 OBP. He finished 3rd in MVP voting.

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    Olerud’s bat wasn’t the only aspect of his game. He could pick it, too. Over a 16 year career, he only totaled 82 errors and never more than 10 in a single season. His TZ rating for his career is 97. At the end of his career he tallied a total of 19 DRS. Despite this, Blue Jays fans will remember his for his remarkable 1993 season, which brought the second straight World Series.

    But, it was the emergence of Delgado that allowed the Blue Jays to confidently part ways with Olerud. He burst onto the scene in 1994 and announced his presence, but it wasn’t until the 1996 season when the club was ready to hand the reigns over completely. When they did, though, he never looked back. Delgado leads the club in HR (336), RBI (1058), doubles (343), SLG (556), was an All Star twice and a Silver Slugger thrice.

    Delgado was the face of the franchise through the late 90’s and early 2000’s. He had one of the prettiest swings from the left side of the plate. After the 2004 season, he would go on to play 5 more seasons with the Marlins and Mets. He’s a career 44.2 WAR player. His highest mark came in 2000 when he reached 7.4. That year, he hit an amazing 179 wRC+. Defensively, it wasn’t always pretty to watch as evidenced by his TZ rating of -34 at first base. For his career, Fangraphs lists his defensive value at -209.1. But his offense is what made him so great. Its value is 368.6.

    Next: Matchup 8: Old or New?

    Matchup 8: Damaso Garcia vs Jose Bautista

    On the surface, this might look like an easy vote. And, it might be. Bautista is current. Bautista is the Face of the Franchise. Bautista is the Flipper of Bats. But, let’s not be so hasty, here.

    Garcia played 902 games for Toronto from 1980 through 1986. He slashed .288/.312 / .377 over that time. He’s responsible for 1028 hits which, according to basic math, translates to well over 1 per game. He was a contact hitter who played like he was allergic to the base on balls (career 3.2%). But, he also didn’t strike out much with a career rate of 7.8%.

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    He was a 2 time All Star with the Blue Jays, once in 1984 and again during the 1985 season that saw the team clinch the franchise’s first AL East title ever. Garcia also won a Silver Slugger in 1982. He was a speed demon that year, stealing 54 bases. In total, he’d steal 194 bags for Toronto. He’s a career 7.4 WAR player, but is really better known for his part in the 1985 title.

    He’s stacked up against Jose Bautista whose offensive contributions dwarf most people’s on this list. Picking up Bautista in 2008 might go down as one of the biggest small moves in franchise history. At the time, he was an unknown journeyman. But, some adjustments to his swing here, some regular playing time there and he’s blossomed into one of the most dangerous hitters in club history.

    He now sits in 2nd spot with 243 HR as a Blue Jay. Not only is his power a serious threat at any time, we’ve watched him become a very patient hitter who is among the league leaders in walks. He’s twice led the league in that category. Bautista is a 6 time All Star and 3 time Silver Slugger Award.

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    But, it might be the 2015 Postseason performance that solidified his spot in Blue Jays lore. He did not disappoint in either the ALDS or the ALCS, hitting important home runs in an effort to carry his team. His 7th inning blast in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers will go down as one of the top moments in the history of Canada’s only MLB team. In the end, it might be tough to beat that.

    There you have it. This concludes Round 1 of Jays Journal’s Greatest Blue Jays All Time: Hitters. There are some obvious choices of players who were left off and could have easily been included. Fred McGriff and his 125 HR or Shawn Green and his 119 HR very easily could have been here. We welcome you to share your thoughts in the comment section. That is the real purpose of this: to have fun and discuss the Greatest Blue Jays of All Time.

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