The top 10 Toronto Blue Jays Players of the 2010’s

2. Edwin Encarnacion: 2010-2016

Edwin Encarnacion entered his Blue Jays tenure on a whimper, a castoff of the Cincinnati Reds that the Blue Jays acquired as part of the Scott Rolen trade, and left Toronto a hero, an icon. It was reported that the Jays weren’t even trying to acquire Encarnacion but the Reds wouldn’t agree to the deal unless he was thrown in as well. EE was brought to the Blue Jays as a third-baseman but played very few games there, instead, being used as a designated hitter or at first base.

You cannot in good conscience call yourself a Blue Jays fan of that era if you don’t know “the parrot walk”, Encarnacion’s go-to move as he rounded the bases. It became an instant fan-favourite trademark in Toronto.

Although Encarnacion was not an All-Star from the getgo, the Blue Jays continued to show faith in him and he rewarded that with a breakout season in 2012 with 42 home runs, 110 RBI, and a .280/.384/.557/.941 slash line. From there, Encarnacion hit 30+ home runs in five straight seasons and drove in 100+ RBI in all but one of those five, the outcast being where he ended with 98. In 2016, he led the American League with 127.

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

For the decade, Encarnacion played 957 games for the Blue Jays in the 2010’s with 231 home runs and 658 RBI. Those numbers only trail Jose Bautista. EE was a three-time All-Star, received MVP votes in four different seasons, was named American League Player of the Month twice, and ranked near the top of many offensive categories from 2012-2016. For all he contributed to the Blue Jays last decade, it’s easy to mark him down as the second-best Blue Jays player of that era.