Blue Jays: Top 10 strikeout leaders in franchise history

7. David Wells, 784 strikeouts

David Wells made his big league debut in 1987 as a reliever but didn’t become a starter until after the Blue Jays released him. While he was a member of the 1992 World Series team, Wells did make a second-stint with Toronto as part of the Roger Clemens deal. The lefty earned three career bests during his time north of the border. In 1999, Wells earned career-best innings pitched in one season with 231.2 innings. The following season, he earned career bests in wins (20) and strikeouts in a season (169).

6. Jimmy Key, 944 strikeouts

Jimmy Key worked his way through the Blue Jays farm system. Key would make his major league debut in 1984 moving into the starting rotation the following season. In his nine seasons in Toronto, the Clemson alumn went 116-81 with an impressive 3.51 ERA. Additionally, Key threw more than 200 innings six times, topping out at 261 in 1987, when he also finished with a 2.76 ERA and the AL ERA crown.

5. Pat Hentgen, 1,028 strikeouts

The three-time All-Star made his Blue Jay debut in 1991, at the height of the team’s championship era. Pat Hentgen played a large role in Toronto’s World Series championship in 1993, in Game Three, he pitched six innings while allowing one hit on six strikeouts. Hentgen’s best year came in 1996, he went 20-10 with a 3.22 ERA and 177 strikeouts. That would be good enough for him to the AL CY Young Award, a first in Blue Jays franchise history.

4. Juan Guzman, 1,030 strikeouts

In Juan Guzman’s first three seasons in Toronto, he went 40-11 with an impressive 3.28 ERA.  On the mound, his deliberate slow approach to pitch would earn him the nickname “Human Rain Delay”. Guzman would be a key contributor in both the 1992 and 1993 ALCS, winning all four of his starts. In eight postseason starts, the Dominican native’s postseason record was 5-1 with a 2.44 ERA. Guzman’s 2.93 ERA in 1996 was the lowest among American League pitchers.