Ranking the 10 best offensive seasons in Blue Jays history

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.