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FanSided

Ranking the 10 greatest infielders in Blue Jays history

By Zachary Rotman

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 18: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates with teammate Edwin Encarnacion #10 after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against Corey Kluber #28 of the Cleveland Indians during game four of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on October 18, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 18: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates with teammate Edwin Encarnacion #10 after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against Corey Kluber #28 of the Cleveland Indians during game four of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on October 18, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA – OCTOBER 19: Paul Molitor #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays rounds the bases during game 3 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on October 19, 1993 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Blue Jays won 10-3. Molitor was named MVP of the series. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images) /

7. Paul Molitor

When coming up with a top 10 list for a franchise, it’s important to consider many factors. Longevity is very important. So is production. Paul Molitor wasn’t a Blue Jay for very long, but boy was his presence in the lineup impactful.

After the Blue Jays won their first World Series title in 1992, they signed Paul Molitor to a three-year $13 million dollar deal. Molitor was already a five-time All-Star before signing with the Jays, so Toronto was getting a big-time impact bat to add to their lineup.

Molitor only played in Toronto for those three seasons but they were three of the better seasons in Jays’ history. He slashed .315/.387/.484 with 51 home runs and 256 RBI through 405 games. Molitor was a rare example of a first baseman who didn’t have a ton of power but prioritized making contact and setting the table for the big boppers in a lineup.

In his first season in Toronto as a 37-year-old, Molitor compiled a .332/.402/.509 line with 22 home runs and 111 RBI. He also tacked on 22 stolen bases, another rarity for a first baseman. He was an All-Star, won the Silver Slugger Award, and finished second in the American League MVP balloting.

In the Postseason, Molitor was even better. In the ALCS he slashed .391/.481/.696 with one home run and five RBI in the six-game series victory. Somehow, he was even better in the World Series. He would end up going .458/.536/.917 with two home runs and seven RBI in the six-game series victory. Molitor ended up winning World Series MVP and was on base for the memorable Joe Carter series-clinching home run.

He’d follow that season up with a .341 batting average and a .927 OPS in the 1994 lockout-shortened season.

Molitor is the franchise leader in career batting average at .315 as a Blue Jay. He’s also fourth in OBP and ninth in slugging percentage. It was only a three-year run for Molitor but he was outstanding during his time in Toronto and is very deserving of a spot on this list.

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