Blue Jays All-Time WAR Leaders- Pitchers

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14 May 1995: Pitcher Tom Henke of the St. Louis Cardinals gets congratulations for saving a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Cardinals won the game 6-5. /

#8- Tom Henke- 16.9 WAR

Tom Henke was affectionately nicknamed “The Terminator” due to his ability to close out games with sheer dominance. Henke was a free agent compensation pick for the Blue Jays in the winter of 1985 from the Texas Rangers.

For the next eight seasons in Toronto, Henke would rack up a franchise record 217 saves, he would also only sport an earned run average north of 3.00 on one occasion during his Blue Jays tenure. In 1989, Henke earned a career-high 3.4 WAR due to a minuscule 1.92 earned run average with 20 saves.

Henke would eventually head back to Texas as a free agent after the conclusion of Blue Jays World Series Championship season in 1992. Henke’s departure would open the door for Duane Ward to cut his teeth as the closer in Toronto.

The big right-hander would accumulate a career 23.0 WAR with three teams over a 14-year career. His final season with the Cardinals before he retired, Henke posted a 1.82 earned run average with 36 saves and was an All-Star, talk about going out on your own terms.

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