Top 5 Short-Term Stints in Blue Jays History

Dave Winfield

Winfield arrived to Toronto in 1992, and was part of the group that brought the first World Series to Canada. On a team covered in star players, the 40 year-old slugger ranked fourth in WAR for the club that year, being worth 4.1 wins above replacement. He played a pivotal role in an offence that was fourth in the AL in batting average, and second in home runs, runs, and hits.

Over 156 games played in 1992, Winfield managed a 138 OPS+. This figure actually led the team, the next closest being Roberto Alomar’s number at a 130 OPS+. He did all of this while primarily acting as the team’s designated hitter. Out of 156 games payed, 130 of them came as the DH, the remaining 26 he saw action in right field. Every single one of his at-bats came out of the number four spot in the order.

Winfield clubbed 26 home runs and had 108 RBI. This production was a driving force towards the Blue Jays winning their first ever World Series. He had a productive Division Series against Oakland, hitting two home runs and driving in three runs. His Fall Classic performance wasn’t too inspiring, however. He managed to drive in three more runs, but his .227 batting average over the six games left a bit to be desired. Granted, during this series the Blue Jays did see both John Smoltz and Tom Glavine.

Nevertheless, the 40 year old Dave Winfield was a perfect fit in 1992. The DH role worked seamlessly, and Winfield’s single year in Toronto really couldn’t have gone much better.