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

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup 1: Duane Ward vs Paul Quantrill

This matchup sees two rather successful relievers go head to head. One was instrumental in winning a World Series, the other was a mainstay in Toronto during the lean years of the late 90’s.

Betsided

Ward sits in 2nd place on the Blue Jays All Time saves list with 121. That is also his career total as he never picked up another save for any other organization, even though he played in 12 games in 1986- his first in MLB. In 1992, he set up for a certain closer who will appear later in our poll to lead the organization to its first World Series title ever. The next season, he was the closer and helped lock down the 2nd straight championship.

In 1993, he saved a total of 45 games with an impressive 83.6% LOB rate. He was worth 2.6 WAR that year, but it wasn’t his highest mark in that category. Ward hit 4.1 WAR in 1991 when he struck out 11.07/9! He would go on to top that mark in 1993 with a 12.18/9 mark. Aside from a few innings in 1986, we can say that Ward spent his whole career with the Blue Jays and put up a total of 14.7 WAR.

Born in London, Ontario, Quantrill was a lucky Canadian who got to play for his hometown team. Drafted by the Red Sox in the 6th round in 1989, he came to the Blue Jays in 1996. He’d spend 6 seasons with the club getting into 386 games, which puts him 6th on the all time list. He collected a 30-34 record with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.

During his time with the Blue Jays, he was a very reliable arm out of them ‘pen. He won 11 games in 2001 with a 1.7 WAR. In fact, his best years as a reliever came in Toronto. After starting 20 games in 1996, they moved him to the bullpen and he went on to put up 1.9 WAR in 1997 and 1.6 WAR in 1998.

Next: Matchup 2: A Slam Dunk vs a Surprise

Credit: S Doyle

Matchup 2: Dave Stieb vs Kelvim Escobar

This matchup might seem like a bit of a no brainer. I mean, on the one hand, we have one of the most iconic pitchers in team history and on the other, we have a pitcher who some have forgotten about. But, is it that much of a slam dunk for Mr Stieb?

Stieb is the winningest pitcher in Blue Jays history with 175. He’s also thrown the most innings in a Blue Jays uniform at 2873. Oh, and he has the most strike outs ever with 1658. Now, perhaps that is helped out by the fact that he’s made 63 more starts than anyone else. That said, we should not diminish Stieb’s accomplishments.

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He pitched 14 seasons for Toronto, was an All Star 7 times and finished in the top 10 of Cy Young voting 3 times, as high as 4th in 1982. For his career, he’s thrown 103 complete games including 5 straight seasons of 10 or more. He tossed 19 of them in 1982. He was a work horse who put up crazy innings totals, too: 1980- 242, 1982- 288, 1983- 278, 1984- 267, 1985- 265! Oh, and he’s thrown the franchise’s only no hitter in 1990. He’s also come close several times.

After all of that, you’d think Escobar doesn’t really stand a chance. And, he may not, but let’s take a look anyway. In 1992, the Blue Jays signed him as an amateur free agent and he’d go on to pitch in 7 seasons for them. He’d always kind of battled his control as evidenced by the fact that in all but his last season with the club he put up a BB rate of over 10%. Despite that, he’s tied for 14th on the all time list for games started with 101.

He put up a 58-55 record with an ERA of 4.58. He also picked up 58 saves, including 38 in 2002, which is the 2nd most in a single season for any Blue Jays reliever. This kind of highlights the difficulty the club had with deciding upon which role he’d serve. He’s a career 28 WAR player who had seasons of 2.3 (1999), 2.7 (2001) and 3.4 (2003). He departed via free agency when the Angels scooped him up for 3yrs/$18.75M.

Next: Matchup 3: Remember These Guys?

Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup 3: Jim Clancy vs Juan Guzman

This matchup is asking you to stretch the limits of your Blue Jays memory. Some readers may not even be old enough to be able to properly make a decision on this one.

Clancy sits in 3rd spot on the club’s All Time wins list with 128. He’s 2nd with 345 starts and innings pitched at 2204.2. He also has the most losses in Blue Jays history with 140. That’ll happen when you pitch 12 seasons for the same organization. From 1977 through 1988, Clancy put up positive values in WAR, reaching as high as 5 in 1987.

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He threw 3 complete games for the Blue Jays and 8 seasons of 30 or more starts. That includes 1982 and 1984 when he led the league. In ’84, he started 36 games, which sounds impressive until you compare it to his ’82 total of 40! He won 10 or more games 8 times as well.

Guzman was a popular starter during the 1990’s and was key in the Blue Jays winning the 2 World Series’. His 7 seasons with the club brought him to 7th on their all time wins list with 76, 25th with 195 games and 6th in innings pitched with 1215.2.

He burst onto the scene in 1991 where he finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting. He was an All Star in 1992 while he was on his way to winning 16 games. The following season, he only lost 3 games all year. Oddly, that was the year he led the league in wild pitches with 26. He’d lead the league again the next year with 13. His best year came in 1992 when he put up 5.5 WAR. His career total sits at 26.3.

Next: Matchup 4: Relievers From Different Decades

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup 4: Mike Timlin vs Mark Eichhorn

Timlin pitched for the Blue Jays in the 90’s and played a prominant role in the franchise’s first World Series title. After a significant gap in the early parts of his career, Eichhorn would tally some impressive win totals out of the ‘pen in the 80’s.

Betsided

Timlin collected 52 saves for the Blue Jays over his time in Toronto. That rather small total puts him 7th on the all time list. He appeared in 305 games for the club from 1991 to 1997 when he was sent to Seattle. His first year in MLB saw him finish 6th in Rookie of the Year voting with a record of 11-6. That was his most successful year in Toronto if you look at his 1.5 WAR.

But, most Blue Jays fans will remember him being on the World Series teams of the 90’s. In fact, it was he who threw out Otis Nixon at first when the speedy Brave tried to lay down a bunt. A fraction of a second before Joe Carter caught the ball and hopped up and down at first base. Timlin fielded the bunt attempt cleanly.

Eichhorn was not as lucky during his time in Toronto. But, he did get a ring. The righty would go 29-19 for the Blue Jays from 1982 through 1988. After 38 innings that saw him go 0-3 in 7 starts, he wouldn’t return to the big league club until 1986 due to a shoulder injury. Given the nature of the injury, you can see why they opted to move him to the ‘pen.

In his new role, Eichhorn would go 14-6 in 1986. He had no starts to his credit, but ended up with 157 innings that year. He followed that up with a 10-6 showing in 127.2 innings the next year. Again, he had zero starts. That 1986 season saw his WAR at an all time high of 4.9. He would later return to the club in 1993 for 72.2 innings where he went 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA.

Next: Matchup 5: Where Does a Current Reliever Stand?

Matchup 5: Scott Downs vs Brett Cecil

Downs has been one of the more dependable relievers the Blue Jays have ever had. Cecil has transformed himself into one of the top relievers in the game today. Who will win?

Downs is 8th place in games played on the club’s all time list with 347. That is more than a certain famous starter that is coming up a bit later, here. He’s 20-18 as a Blue Jay with an ERA of 3.13. He held batters to a .235 average in his 407.2 innings of work. The former Montreal Expos reliever spent 6 seasons in Toronto from 2005 through 2010.

Toronto Blue Jays

While his WAR may not jump out at you (he’s a total 8.1 win player over his 15 year career), what should grab you is his reliablility. As a lefty out of the bullpen, he was relied on heavily during his tenure in Toronto. He led the league in games pitched in 2007 with 81. That is half a season! Granted, he was a lefty specialist who only threw 58 innings in those games. Regardless, it is that value that kept him employed at the big league level right up until 2014.

Cecil was the Blue Jays first round pick (38th) back in 2007. After experimenting with him as a starter for the first part of his career, they moved him to the bullpen and have not looked back. The club had seen him as a starter from the beginning and was encouraged by his 15-7 showing in 2010. But, he followed that up with a 4-11 record the next year. The move to the bullpen resulted in an All Star appearance in 2013 and he’s been excellent since.

There has been much debate about Cecil as a closer, but you might be surprised to know that he only has 11 for his whole career. He’s never really fit that role. Instead, as a lefty out of the ‘pen late in a game, he’s excelled with a K/9 rate of 12.83 in 2014 and 11.60 in 2015. This is thanks to his devastating curveball that is among the best in MLB. After settling into the bullpen, his WAR jumped to 1.1 in 2014 and 1.5 in 2015.

Next: Matchup 6: Battle of the Closers

Matchup 6: Tom Henke vs Casey Janssen

“The Terminator” was one of the most dominant relievers this franchise has ever known. His save total of 217 is good for first place and may never be beat. He played 8 seasons in Toronto from 1985 through 1992. It was only the emergence of Duane Ward that made the club comfortable to part ways with him. After piling up 217 saves for the Blue Jays, he’d add 91 more for the Rangers and Cardinals.

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His best seasons came in 1986 (3.5 WAR), 1987 (3.3 WAR) and 1989 (3.5 WAR). What is remarkable about his ’86 season is that he also compiled a record of 9-5 to go along with his 27 saves. In 1989, he also hit 8-3 with 20 saves. In those 3 seasons, he never saw a K/9 rate of lower than 11.63, which included a 12.26 rate in 1987. Of course, we’ll all remember his part in the 1992 season where he saved 34 games to help the Blue Jays win the World Series.

Janssen was a different kind of reliever than Henke. Firstly, he kind of stumbled into the role after failed starting attempts. He started 17 games in 2006. Like Cecil, he was moved to the bullpen and saw some improved results. In 2010, he was moved there full time and would go 5-2 in 68.2 innings.

But, it wasn’t until 2012 that the club trusted him in the closers role. He would go on to save 22 games that year. He’d save 34 the next and then another 25 in 2014. Janssen has tallied 90 saves in a Blue Jays uniform, which is good for 4th on the all time list. At the time, he was considered a sure bet in the 9th inning. In the grand scheme of things, he likely won the role by default and the club let him walk away when free agency came calling.

Next: Matchup 7: Doc vs The Chin

Mandatory Credit:

David Manning

-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup 7: Roy Halladay vs Todd Stottlemyre

“Doc” just might be an instant finalist in the Best Blue Jays Pitcher of All Time. But, in the interest of fairness, we should also consider a guy who sacrificed his chin to help his team win the 1993 World Series.

Betsided

Halladay sits in 2nd place on the Blue Jays all time wins list with 148. In 287 starts, he’s only lost 76 times. He also ranks 2nd in strikeouts with 1495. He’s third in innings pitched with 2046.2. He’s tied for first with a WHIP of 1.20. During his prime Toronto years, Doc was one of the best pitchers in the game. He could dominate nearly every time he took the mound. But, it wasn’t always like that.

As the century turned over, so too did Halladay. He spent some time working on his delivery in a reboot that sent him all the way down to A+. But, when he returned, he’d have it figured out. He’d end up an All Star 6 times with the Blue Jays (another 2 with the Phillies) as well as finish in the top 5 in Cy Young Award voting, including the win in 2003. He’d also go on to win the Cy Young Award in 2010 with the Phillies. With the Blue Jays, he led the league in wins (22) in 2003, and innings 3 times. For his career, he led the league in complete games 7 times and shut outs 4 times. But, he never even made it to the playoffs with the Blue Jays.

Stottlemyre, on the other hand, did. In fact, he contributed to both World Series seasons. In his 7 years in Toronto, he would compile 69 wins. He struck out 662 in his 1139 innings pitched for the Blue Jays. He was never a guy to blow batters away as evidenced by his career 6.52% K/9 rate. In fact, his K/9 rate never even saw 9.

But, he’s a career 28.7 WAR player who chipped in 12.7 for the Blue Jays. He won 15 games in 1991. He was a .500 pitcher for the World Series teams. He’ll forever be remembered for his slide into third base during Game 4 of the 1993 World Series. He was out. Regardless, voters may lean his way if they value winning championships over individual performances. Though, it would be tough to argue that Stottlemyre had a huge impact on those championship seasons.

Next: The Final Matchup

Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup 8: Jimmy Key vs Pat Hentgen

This matchup is interesting because as Key was leaving Toronto, Hentgen was emerging. Key pitched 9 seasons for the Blue Jays that overlapped with the beginning part of Hentgen’s 9 seasons with the club.

Key ranks 4th on the Blue Jays all time wins list with 116. He’s also 4th in innings pitched with 1695.2. He’s actually behind Downs in games pitched. He wasn’t really a strike out machine given that he only tallied 944 over 9 seasons. But, he’s tied with Halladay for the all time lead in WHIP at 1.20. Unlike the relievers previously listed, Key started in the bullpen in 1984 and then started for the rest of his 15 year career.

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He was a 2 time All Star during his time in Toronto and finished 2nd in Cy Young voting in 1987 when he led the league in ERA at 2.76. He’s a 45 WAR player who gave the Blue Jays 28 WAR. His best year was in 1987 where he was worth 5.6 WAR. Key has been a part of winning in Toronto for the famous playoff runs. He went 14-6 in 1985 and 13-13 in 1992 before he left for New York in 1993.

Hentgen was coming into his own when Key was ending his time in Toronto. He came up in 1991 and by the time all was said and done, he would collect 107 wins for the Blue Jays, which is good for 5th all time- 9 behind Key. He’s also 5th in innings at 1636 (59 behind Key). For consistency, he ranks 5th in strike outs at 1028, which is better than Key’s 6th place finish.

Hentgen was a 3 time All Star with Toronto who finished 6th in Cy Young voting in 1993 when he won 19 games. He won the Cy Young Award in 1996 when he won 20 games and led the league in innings (265.2) and complete games (10). His ’96 season saw him worth 6 WAR. He gave the Blue Jays 20.3 WAR overall. He would return to the club in 2004 for 16 starts and a 2-9 record.

There you have it. Have your say for the Greatest Pitcher in Blue Jays History. As well, feel free to justify your choices below. Do you feel like we left someone out who should have been there? Think Jason Frasor should have been recognized for his all time Blue Jays high of 505 games? Think Roger Clemens deserved some love for his back to back Cy Young winning seasons in 1997 and 1998? How about David Wells who is 6th all time in Blue Jays wins?

Next: Who is the Blue Jays Greatest Hitter of All Time?

Obviously, in a poll such as this, it is impossible to recognize everyone. There are going to be some snubs. But, feel free to write in your choices. Please don’t remind us of Ricky Romero. And, stay tuned to see how the first rounds went in Jays Journal’s Greatest Blue Jays of All Time voting.