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Toronto Blue Jays: Top 10 Players of the 2021 Season

By David Corcoran

TORONTO, ON - JULY 31: Santiago Espinal #5 of the Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 laugh with teammates Marcus Semien #10 and Bo Bichette #11 during their MLB game against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on July 31, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JULY 31: Santiago Espinal #5 of the Toronto Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 laugh with teammates Marcus Semien #10 and Bo Bichette #11 during their MLB game against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on July 31, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) /
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Blue Jays
Aug 8, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder George Springer (4) celebrates his single against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

As the 2021 Blue Jays season has come to an end, the team had several outstanding performances.  I took a look at who I thought were the ten best players for the Toronto Blue Jays from this past season.

10.

George Springer – 19 doubles, 22 home runs, 50 RBI, .264/.352/.555
It is hard to believe that a player that played less than half the season could be a Top 10 player on his team, but when George Springer was in the lineup he was a difference maker.  Springer played in 78 games and in that time the Blue Jays posted a 48-30 record (.615) compared to 43-41 (.512) when he was out of the lineup.

Springer took home three Player of the Week Awards this season, while finishing second on the team in both Slugging Percentage (.555) and OPS (.907).  He collected 22 home runs in just 342 plate appearances and if you projected that over 700 plate appearances Springer would have himself 45 home runs.  Springer showed that when healthy the massive contract he earned this past offseason is worth every penny. Springer will be manning centre field for the next half decade and it will be fun to see what he can produce in a full season.

Blue Jays
Sep 20, 2021; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (13) is congratulated by first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) as he puts on a jacket as he hits a home run during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

9.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr – 25 doubles, 21 home runs, 84 RBI, .276/.319/.466
On a team of upbeat players, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. may be the most entertaining as he always brings a fun attitude.  While his routes to balls in the outfield aren’t the prettiest, he makes up for it with a laser of an arm which led the team in outfield assists with 16 this year, and seven of those being by way of double plays.

To start he season things were not looking good for the Cuban born player as on May 12, Gurriel Jr. was batting just .193 through 32 games.  However, he got things going after that which included four straight multi-hit games in mid-May.  Over the remaining 109 games of the season, Gurriel posted a slash line of .302/.349/.525 and slugged 44 extra base hits. He also tied a franchise record with four grand slams in a single season this year.

You will likely see Gurriel Jr. back in left field next season as he will be entering year five of six of his team friendly contract that will see him make just under $5 million, which is a $1 million raise over this year’s contract.

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