Blue Jays: Ranking the top five catchers in franchise history

As the torch gets slowly passed this season and next from Russell Martin to Danny Jansen behind the plate, let’s look back at some of best catcher’s in the relatively short franchise history of the Toronto Blue Jays.

As the Blue Jays play out the remainder of the 2018 season, we’re bound to get a look at even more young players from the minor league system. One of those youngsters debuted on Monday and picked up two hits in his first game as a big leaguer.

Danny Jansen looks like he may be the real deal behind the plate, and he’s got Blue Jays fans excited. The fan base has longed for a homegrown franchise catcher for decades, and Jansen might finally be the talented receiver we’ve been waiting for.

Injuries to infielders like Brandon Drury and Yangervis Solarte allowed the Blue Jays to call up Jansen from Triple-A Buffalo, while shifting incumbent starting catcher Russell Martin to third base. Martin has shown an acceptable ability to be used as a utility player this season, and for now this scenario allows for regular playing time for Jansen as the catcher.

It’s also a window into the future for Jays fans as Jansen slowly takes the reigns behind the plate from Martin. The latter has one year remaining on his current contract, but with Jansen looking ready to take over, Martin could be in for a part-time catching role that includes some utility duties, which may suit him just fine at this stage of his career.

The promotion of the youngster also got me thinking about the history of Blue Jays’ catchers, and who may rank at the top of the list. In all honesty, it hasn’t been a position of strength throughout franchise history, which is why Russell Martin’s signing was so celebrated, and why fans are so excited about Jansen’s potential.

That said, there have been a few pretty solid catchers throughout the 41 year  history of the team. Let’s have a look at some of the best to put on a Blue Jays uniform.