
Bringing Up The Rear
10- Fred McGriff / Cecil Fielder (1987)
McGriff: .247/.376/.505, 20 home runs, 43 RBI, 1.6 bWAR
Fielder: .269/.345/.560, 14 home runs, 32 RBI, -0.7 bWAR
Okay, I’ll admit that it’s a little early to be cheating, but I felt like this was an exception that was worth mentioning. Back in 1987, the Blue Jays employed Willie Upshaw as their primary first baseman, but they also had a pair of young hitters that were making their way to the big leagues and pushing for more playing time. Since Upshaw was still blocking them at first, McGriff and Fielder mostly split time at designated hitter, and they were a productive duo, combing for 34 home runs, and 75 RBI.
9- Brad Fullmer
2000 Stats: .295/.340/.558, 34 HR, 29 doubles, 104 RBI, 1.6 bWAR
I very nearly included John Olerud‘s 1990 season on the list, but that would have had to drop McGriff/Fielder, or the next guy, which is Brad Fullmer. He was only in Toronto for two seasons, but the left-handed masher made quite an impact across 133 games in 2000, hitting several towering shots into the bleachers.
8- Jose Canseco
1998 Stats: .237/.318/.518, 46 HR, 26 doubles, 107 RBI, 29 stolen bases, 1.5 bWAR
He wasn’t in Toronto for very long either, but it was a lot of fun to watch Jose Canseco in 1998. The bulky slugger was a bit of an ‘all or nothing’ type of hitter, but he showed off the long ball with regularity, and even added 29 stolen bases as a 33 year old. He came with all kinds of baggage, but he always brought the entertainment factor.