Ranking the 10 best offensive seasons in Blue Jays history

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TORONTO – JULY 12: Center fielder Vernon Wells #10 of the Toronto Blue Jays swings at a pitch during the American League game against the New York Yankees at SkyDome on July 12, 2003 in Toronto, Ontario. The Blue Jays won the game 10-3. (Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images) /

As the MLB’s fifth-youngest team, it’d make sense if the Blue Jays didn’t have much offensive firepower. Their overall record is under .500 and they have missed the playoffs in 37 of their 45 years in existence. However, the Jays have had a ton of star power come and play North of the border.

Not all of the best players to wear a Blue Jays uniform were on the greatest of teams, but they had outstanding individual seasons. The Jays have rostered two MVP winners and 30 Silver Slugger winners. For baseball’s fifth-youngest franchise, that’s pretty darn impressive.

I am making this list before the 2022 season, which could very well bring another season or two to this list. The Jays current roster is littered with young proven talent that might again finish in the top three in runs per game.

While we wait for the lockout to end, here’re the 10 greatest offensive seasons in Blue Jays history.

10. Vernon Wells – 2003

I believe Vernon Wells is a very underrated player when looking at the history of this franchise. He was a fixture in the middle of the Jays lineup from 2002-2010 but wasn’t on the best teams. The Jays finished over .500 five times in those nine seasons but did not make the playoffs a single time. I guess that’s what happens when you play in the American League East.

Wells was nothing short of spectacular in his second season as a full-time starter at the big league level. He posted a .317/.359/.500 slash line with 33 home runs and 117 RBI. In a lineup with pretty much Carlos Delgado and average to below-average talent around, Wells wound up being a star and helped keep the Jays relevant. He made his first All-Star team and won the only Silver Slugger Award that season as well.

In addition to his 33 long balls, Wells hit a league-leading 49 doubles. That ranks third in Blue Jays history for a single season. He had a league-leading 373 total bases, which ranks second in Blue Jays history for a single season. He also led the league with 215 hits and 735 plate appearances. Both of those feats set single-season Blue Jays records that have not been broken.

He might not have had the power output that others have had for the Jays, but 87 extra-base hits is no small amount. It’s tied for third in franchise history.

SEATTLE – AUGUST 13: Carlos Delgado #35 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats against the Seattle Mariners during the game on August 13, 2003 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners defeated the Blue Jays 13-6. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

9. Carlos Delgado – 2003

Carlos Delgado’s second to last season with the Blue Jays ended up being one of the best offensive seasons of his career. His overall numbers as a Blue Jay have him as in my opinion, the best infielder to ever play for the Blue Jays so he had plenty of good seasons, but this one sticks out.

Overall, he slashed .302/.426/.593 with 42 home runs and 145 RBI. The RBI total broke his own franchise record of 137 which he set just three years prior. The 42 home runs ended up being the second-highest mark of his 17-year career, same with his American League-leading 1.019 OPS.

Delgado ended up finishing second in the American League MVP race, but an argument could be made that he should have finished first. He led the American League with a 161 OPS+, the winner, Alex Rodriguez, finished fifth in the American League with a 147 OPS+.

Delgado also led the league with a 159 WRC+. Rodriguez was fourth in the league with a 151 OPS+. Rodriguez did steal more bases and play better defense which matters, but Delgado put on a show offensively that season and had a very good case for the MVP award.

Delgado did end up winning his third career Silver Slugger this season and just continued to be the most consistent Blue Jay hitter ever with his sixth straight season of posting at least a 138 OPS+.

It’s disappointing that a team with Wells and Delgado on it only ended up finishing 86-76 and missing the postseason.

NEW YORK – CIRCA 1993: Roberto Alomar #12 of the Toronto Blue Jays scores against the New York Yankees during a Major League Baseball game circa 1993 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Alomar played for the Blue Jays in 1991-95. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

8. Roberto Alomar – 1993

Roberto Alomar was seen as a piece that could help elevate the Blue Jays from a team that was constantly falling just short of their ultimate goal of winning the World Series to finally winning the first one in franchise history. The Jays traded Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to the Padres in exchange for Alomar and future Jays hero Joe Carter in a move that saw the Jays say goodbye to a franchise icon in Fernandez and a young star in McGriff.

The trade couldn’t have ended up much better for Toronto. We know what Carter did but Alomar was arguably the best player on both of the World Series teams. Alomar was an All-Star and a Gold Glove winner in each of his five seasons in Toronto, but his best offensive season came in 1993.

Following the Jays’ first-ever World Series championship, Alomar slashed .326/.408/.492 with 17 home runs and 93 RBI. In addition, Alomar stole 55 bases which rank second in a single season in Jays history, just five shy of Dave Collins.

Alomar’s 142 WRC+ ranked fifth in the American League and his 7.0 offensive WAR according to baseball reference is the seventh-highest in Blue Jays history.

Thanks to his contributions as a Blue Jay, Alomar was honored with a spot on the Level of Excellence but has since been removed due to his sexual misconduct allegations in recent years.

TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 22: Jose Bautista #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays watches the ball as he runs to 1st base after a hit against the Seattle Mariners on September 22, 2010 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Matthew Manor/Getty Images) /

7. Jose Bautista – 2010

Making his MLB debut in 2004, Jose Bautista didn’t really break out until he was picked up by the Blue Jays. That season alone he got big league time with four different teams. The last stop of that season was in Pittsburgh where Bautista found a home for the next 3.5 seasons. During his time as a Pirate, he was nothing more than an average hitter. He never hit higher than .254 in a season and never hit more than 16 home runs in a season.

In the 2008 campaign, the Blue Jays acquired Bautista in exchange for Robinzon Diaz. It’s one of, if not the best trade this franchise has ever made.

Bautista struggled offensively when he first came to Toronto and he struggled in 2009 as well. Once Bautista transitioned to the outfield full-time in 2010, things blossomed for him. He went from never having a season with a league-average OPS+ to posting a 164 OPS+ which was third in the American League and sixth in franchise history.

Bautista smacked an American League-leading and franchise record-setting 54 home runs and drove in 124 runs. Bautista also showed incredible discipline, finishing second in the American League with 100 walks drawn. He only hit .260 but had a very solid .378 OBP.

Bautista also led the American League with 351 total bases. He was an All-Star, won a Silver Slugger, and finished fourth in the American League MVP balloting. It was one of the more unprecedented breakouts in MLB history for a career journeyman to all of a sudden become an all-star as he was approaching his 30th birthday.

OAKLAND, CA – 1990: George Bell #11 of the Toronto Blue Jays swings at a pitch during a 1990 game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

6. George Bell – 1987

In the 1980 Rule 5 Draft, the Blue Jays made one of the better Rule 5 picks in MLB history, stealing George Bell from the Phillies. Bell represented one-third of arguably the best outfield in Jays history alongside Lloyd Moseby and Jesse Barfield for many years.

Once Bell got a full-time starting role in 1984, he was an instant contributor. He had three straight seasons with an OPS+ over 115 along with 25+ home run power. He won two Silver Sluggers from 1984-1986 along with three straight top 19 MVP finishes.

Bell was already becoming an All-Star type of hitter but he took his game to a whole other level in the 1987 season. Bell slashed .308/.352/.605 with 47 home runs and an American League-leading 134 RBI. He made his first career All-Star team, won his third straight Silver Slugger, and ended up being the first Blue Jays player to win the American League MVP award.

Bell was eighth in the American League with a 143 WRC+, but that was mainly due to him not walking very much. His 5.8% walk rate was significantly lower than the leaders in the category, but Bell’s offensive season was nothing short of extraordinary even with the low walks. The power and his ability to make contact won him an MVP award.

Bell set franchise records in home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, and OPS. These records have been broken, but his 1987 season was one of the more historic campaigns in Jays history.

Aug 23, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) hits a run scoring double against the Chicago White Sox in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2021

When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. first came up in 2019, he came with a lot of hype. He is the son of a Hall of Famer and was one of the more highly touted prospects I can remember in my lifetime. He was expected to contribute immediately.

Guerrero Jr. wasn’t bad by any stretch, but he also wasn’t a star immediately. He posted OPS+ numbers slightly over 100 and was a fine hitter who didn’t really break out.

Everything changed in his first full season in the bigs. Vladdy was the best hitter in one of the best lineups in the game that might just be getting started considering the young ages of the big boppers on this roster.

The 22-year-old slashed .311/.401/.601 with 48 home runs and 111 RBI. Vladdy hit .272 with 15 home runs in his only other season playing over 100 games so it’s safe to say he made a massive, massive jump. Vladdy was the All-Star Game MVP, won a Silver Slugger, and finished second to two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani for the MVP award. In pretty much any other year where there isn’t someone who can pitch and hit at an elite level, Guerrero Jr. would’ve won the MVP.

Vladdy led the AL with his 48 home runs, a mark that is second behind Bautista’s 54 home run 2010 season in Jays history. He also led the league with 123 runs scored, he ranks second in Jays’ franchise history in that category as well.

Everyone knew Vladdy had the tools to hit a lot of home runs. He has a very imposing presence at the plate and takes some vicious hacks. What really impressed me was Vladdy’s ability to get on base, where he led the league with his .401 OBP. His elite on-base ability is why someone like Teoscar Hernandez was able to drive in 116 runs, hitting behind Vladdy for much of the year. It’s easy for a young player with that much talent to try and swing at everything but Vladdy takes what is given to him and it is so impressive to watch him hit.

Vladdy also led the league in slugging percentage, OPS, total bases, and OPS+. He also led the league with a 166 WRC+. Ohtani was second in the league with a 152 OPS+. That disparity shows just how good Vladdy was offensively. It’ll be exciting to see what the future holds for the superstar.

TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 21: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a double against the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals during game five of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on October 21, 2015 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

4. Josh Donaldson – 2015

After the 2014 season, the Blue Jays sent Brett Lawrie, Kendall Graveman, Franklin Barretto, and Sean Nolin to the Athletics in exchange for third baseman Josh Donaldson. The Jays were sending their starting third baseman along with some other pieces to try and upgrade. Boy, did they upgrade.

Lawrie was a decent third baseman, nothing special. Graveman was a journeyman pitcher who never really amounted to anything until this season when he ironically was pitching for two of the division rivals of the Athletics. Barretto and Nolin have both had cups of coffee in the majors and haven’t done much. The Jays stole Donaldson from the Athletics.

In his first season in Toronto, Donaldson put on a show. The “Bringer of Rain” slashed .297/.371/.568 with 41 home runs and 123 RBI. He led the American League with that RBI total and also led the league with 122 runs scored. He also led the league with 352 total bases and 10 sacrifice flies. He was an all-star, won the Silver Slugger, and became the franchise’s second-ever American League MVP winner.

Donaldson was the best player on a very exciting Blue Jays team that ended up making it to the ALCS. He hit second in front of Jose Bautista for the team that led the league in runs per game by a wide margin.

Donaldson’s 8.7 fWAR that season is the highest for a hitter in Blue Jays history. That first season in Toronto really couldn’t have gone much better for the Jays and Donaldson.

30 May 1993: JOHN OLERUD, FIRST BASEMAN FOR THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS, SWINGS AT A PITCH DURING THEIR GAME AGAINST THE OAKLAND A”S AT THE OAKLAND COLISEUM IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. /

3. John Olerud – 1993

Washington native John Olerud is the second player I have on this list from the magical 1993 season. That team had starstudded talent all over the diamond with guys like Paul Molitor and Joe Carter also having really solid offensive seasons. Olerud was without a doubt the best hitter on that 1993 World Series championship team.

Olerud did not have the 30+ home run power many first basemen have, and I think that’s a big reason why his 1993 season is overlooked by many. Olerud was simply one of the best pure hitters in his era.

Olerud was a solid player when he first came up, posting OPS+ numbers between 115-127 in his first three full seasons. The 1993 season was when Olerud became a superstar.

He had a .363/.473/.599 slash line with 24 home runs and 107 RBI, with the home runs and RBI totals ending up being career bests for Olerud. He also hit a league-leading 54 doubles. While those power numbers might not pop very much, his slash line is one of the more impressive ones I have ever seen.

Olerud set franchise records in batting average and OBP marks that I don’t see anyone topping anytime soon. A .473 on-base percentage is mind-blowing to me. Juan Soto led the majors with a .465 OBP this past season, but second place was Bryce Harper at .429. A noticeable gap. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led the American League at .401. An even bigger gap.

Olerud drew 114 walks in 1993 to go with 65 strikeouts. It’s rare enough to see someone walk more than they strike out. To walk 49 more times than you strike out is crazy. He also led the league with a 179 WRC+. That is another crazy feat because he did not hit a ton of home runs which usually is needed to have a very high WRC+.

Olerud somehow finished third in the league MVP balloting when I believe he probably should have won it. Nonetheless, it is undoubtedly one of the best offensive single seasons in Blue Jays history.

OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 21: Jose Bautista #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on August 21, 2011 in Oakland, California. The Blue Jays defeated the Athletics 1-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

2. Jose Bautista – 2011

Featured for the second time on this list, Bautista played in 10 seasons as a Blue Jay and hit 288 home runs, second-most in franchise history. His best power season was the aforementioned 2010 season when he hit 54 home runs out of nowhere. While that was a top 10 offensive season in Jays history, Bautista’s 2011 season was even better.

Even after hitting 54 home runs, questions still remained about whether that was a fluke or not. Bautista went from being a replacement-level player at best, to all of a sudden hitting 54 home runs. He proved once and for all, that his 2010 season was no fluke, and that he was even better.

His 2011 season probably doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves because the Jays were just not very good, finishing 81-81. He slashed .302/.447/.607 with 43 home runs and 103 RBI. While he didn’t hit 54, his 43 still led the American League.

For such a young franchise, the Toronto Blue Jays have had some monster offensive seasons including two MVP winners. These are the 10 best in Jays history.

Bautista had 8.4 offensive WAR which set a single-season record for the Blue Jays. An underrated part of Bautista’s game was his unbelievable plate discipline. He drew a franchise record walks that led the American League that season as well. In addition to his high walk total, he struck out 111 times. So this frightening power hitter had elite plate vision that made him pretty impossible to pitch to. That explains why he was intentionally walked a league-leading 24 times.

Bautista had an absurd 180 WRC+ which led the Major Leagues as well. Bautista finished third in league MVP voting behind Justin Verlander and Jacoby Ellsbury. I can understand Verlander winning the award because he won the Pitching Triple Crown, however, Bautista’s year was way better in my estimation than Ellsbury’s as he had a WRC+ 30 points higher with an OPS over 100 points higher and 11 more home runs.

Regardless of the MVP votes, Bautista’s 2011 season capped off a two-year stretch which saw him hit 93 home runs and put up numbers no Blue Jay has matched.

Toronto Blue Jays Carlos Delgado is congratulated by his teammates in the dougout after scoring on a Tony Batista sacrifice fly to left field during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit, Michigan, 26 May 2000. (Electronic Image) AFP Photo/Jeff KOWALSKY (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo credit should read JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images) /

1. Carlos Delgado – 2000

Not only is Carlos Delgado the best infielder in franchise history, I believe he is the best position player in Blue Jays history. With that being said, it’s only right that the best position player had the best offensive season in Blue Jays history.

Carlos Delgado’s 2000 season looks more impressive every time I look at it. He amassed a .344/.470/.664 slash line with 41 home runs and 137 RBI and led the league with 57 doubles and 337 total bases. Delgado amassed an absurd 99 extra-base hits in the 2000 season which set a franchise record.

A power-hitting first baseman like Delgado having a .470 OBP is frightening. It was just three points behind John Olerud’s franchise record for OBP in the 1993 season. He drew 123 walks compared to just 104 strikeouts. A player like Delgado walking 19 more times than he struck out made him impossible to pitch to.

His OPS and slugging percentages set franchise records among many other statistical categories. He put up the best all-around season in my opinion in Jays history with his extra-base hits and plate discipline.

Next. Ranking the 10 greatest outfielders in Blue Jays history. dark

Delgado had a 179 WRC+ which was just three points shy of Jason Giambi for the league lead. His .471 wOBA was second in the American League. Delgado’s defense was putrid which I’m sure was a contributing factor to him finishing fourth in the American League MVP balloting, but his numbers at the plate were comparable to Giambi who did win the award.

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