Blue Jays: Where does Josh Donaldson rank all-time?

The recent homecoming of Josh Donaldson got me to thinking where the former MVP ranks all-time among Blue Jays position players in franchise history.

Josh Donaldson may not have longevity with the Blue Jays in his corner when debating his place all-time, however, it is hard to dispute the numbers he put up during his tenure north of the border. Donaldson was arguably the best player in the majors in 2015 and wasn’t far off that pace the following season.

When quantifying where J.D ranks, you have to consider the intangibles he brought to the Jays lineup on a daily basis. Donaldson knew he was better than you and dared pitchers to come into his kitchen. He was a gamer and the type of player teams hate to play against.

Couple that with his .281/.383/.548 stat line that included 116 homers and a 21.6 WAR over 462 games with Toronto. For me, J.D ranks somewhere in the conversation with Roberto Alomar, Jose Bautista, and Carlos Delgado. Probably fourth among that group but top five nonetheless.

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There are obviously many others but what J.D did during a time when the Jays were contending separates him from most of the pack in my mind. I have to put him ahead of the likes of Tony Fernandez, George Bell, Jesse Barfield, and Joe Carter.

If you had to envision what the perfect baseball player resembled, I am pretty confident the 2015 version of Donaldson would be close to the top of your list.

On a side note, as I digress, it was very nice to see J.D receive a warm reception from the Toronto faithful. J.D. was finally afforded the proper sendoff that he so rightfully deserved. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Where does Donaldson rank all-time for you? Chime in the comments below and voice your opinion on his place in Blue Jays history.