Blue Jays: Seven players who have earned a statue at the Rogers Centre

The Toronto Blue Jays are set to undergo massive renovations over the next few offseasons, looking to create a better atmosphere that will take away from being the multi-purpose facility it originally was built to be to a true ballpark.

Stadium seats will be replaced, bullpens will be raised, additional social centres and gathering areas within the upper levels, and just a host of other amenities and changes that should add to the overall experience that is taking in a Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre.

While the Jays are set to go through a boatload of indoor renovations, one change I was hoping the organization would make is the addition of statues around the Rogers Centre, celebrating past players and/or staff who have shaped the organization into what it is today. Not every team around the league has statues at their stadiums, like the Colorado Rockies (they have “the player” but not an official player) and the Arizona Diamondbacks, while some have recently added statues outside their ballparks like the Los Angeles Dodgers (Sandy Koufax).

That’s not to say the Jays don’t have a statue of their own, with “the audience” being found in the northeast and northwest corners of the stadium, being seen by fans as they make their way from Front Street. This is great to see, but also begs the question of why the Blue Jays don’t have statues of former players or front office staff who contributed to the Jays franchise over time.

They do have the Level of Excellence, prominently displayed in the upper tier of the left field wall, but doesn’t really explain why the organization has avoided a physical presence or two around the stadium.

Keegan Matheson wrote a great article on specific Jays’ moments that should be captured in statues, but I am going to look a step further and look at honouring players and their overall contributions rather than one particular moment.

Looking at individuals involved in the front office, I would think Paul Beeston and Pat Gillick would be at the forefront for being honoured in statue form, as well as Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth for their accomplishments in the radio booth. Cito Gaston would be a shoo-in as well for his accomplishments as the Blue Jays manager.

For players, here are seven candidates I believe fit the bill.

Dave Stieb

One of the best pitchers in Blue Jays history, right-hander Dave Stieb is present in almost every pitching category when looking through the franchise’s history. Spending parts of 15 seasons with the organization, Stieb leads Jays pitchers in terms of wins (175), innings pitched (2873.0), strikeouts (1658), complete games (103), and shutouts (30), starting 30+ games in ten of the 15 seasons he spent with the Jays.

Armed with a power fastball and an incredible slider, Stieb was a seven-time All-Star while leading the AL in ERA in 1985, posting a 2.48 ERA that season. While he never won the Cy Young over his career, he earned votes numerous times throughout his career and was an absolute workhorse in the rotation, leading the AL in complete games in 1982 with 19 and setting the Jays record for most innings in a single season at 288.1.

Stieb also has the honour of pitching the only no-hitter in Blue Jays history, eventually finishing off the then Cleveland Indians on September 2nd, 1990. While his play started to decline due to injury later in his career, he was able to help the Jays win a World Series title in 1992, appearing in 21 games that season.

There is no question that Stieb would be a leading candidate for a statue at the Rogers Centre and one that I think many fans could agree is worthy of such an honour.

Tony Fernández

Signed by the Blue Jays in 1979, infielder Tony Fernández made his MLB debut in 1983 and spent parts of 12 seasons with the Jays. Over this time, Fernández authored a .297/.353/.412 slash line with 291 doubles, 613 RBI, 172 stolen bases, and a .765 OPS through 5335 at-bats.

Similar to Stieb, you will find Fernández’s name scattered throughout the Blue Jays record books, as the switch hitter is at the top of the record books in terms of games played (1450), hits (1583), and triples (72), while also ranking fifth in terms of runs scored (704) and third in plate appearances (5900).

From 1986 to 1989, Fernández won a Gold Glove each season and also made three All-Star appearances while patrolling shortstop for the Blue Jays.

The organization ended up trading him and Fred McGriff to the San Diego Padres prior to the 1991 campaign in exchange for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter, a move that ended up helping the Jays win the 1992 World Series. While Fernández was not around for the first World Series win, he returned to the Blue Jays for the 1993 season in a trade with the New York Mets and would win a ring with the club this time around, sporting a .333/.423/.381 slash line in the World Series vs. the Phillies.

While the Jays legend passed away in early 2020, his legacy should forever live on in the form of a statue at the Rogers Centre.

Roy Halladay

Another Blue Jays pitching legend, right-hander Roy Halladay was one of the reasons many fans went to see the club play during some rough years in club history.

A first-round pick of the Jays in the 1995 MLB Draft, Halladay made his MLB debut in 1998 and struggled through his first few seasons to fully cement himself on the active roster. That all changed in 2002, as the Jays pitcher was named to his first All-Star squad and led the AL in innings pitched with 239.1. He followed that season with a Cy Young performance, winning 22 games and putting forth a 3.25 ERA through 36 outings and 266.0 innings.

Through 12 seasons with the franchise, Halladay finished with a 3.43 ERA through 2046.2 innings, posting 49 complete games, a 6.6 K/9, and a 1.178 WHIP to go with a 3.39 FIP and a 48.4 bWAR. To go along with his Cy Young Award, Halladay made six All-Star appearances and was a prominent member off the field, working with the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children and donating $100,000 of his pay to the Jays Care Foundation on a yearly basis.

The Blue Jays ended up trading him to the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2009/2010 offseason, presumably so he could get a last chance at a World Series ring in the twilight of his career. While he didn’t end up winning a championship, he did pitch a Perfect Game, a postseason no-hitter, and found himself voted into both the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Cooperstown, as well as having his number retired in both the Blue Jays and Phillies organization.

It’s time to honour his late legacy with a statue at the Rogers Centre.

Carlos Delgado

Hailing from Puerto Rico, Carlos Delgado signed with the Blue Jays in 1988 and spent the next few years fighting his way through the Minor Leagues. He had a cup of coffee with the Blue Jays in 1993 and flirted with the active roster over the next two seasons before finding himself as a regular player in 1996.

Over the course of 12 seasons, the lefty-hitting first baseman was one of the most powerful Blue Jays hitters, hitting 30+ home runs seven times while also adding three Silver Slugger Awards for his play. He currently holds numerous single-season records, such as RBI (145), doubles (57), and OPS (1.134).

The Blue Jays currently have no player statues at the Rogers Centre. Here are seven players deserving of the honour should the organization change their mind.

For his Blue Jays career, Delgado owns a .282/.392/.556 slash line with 343 doubles, 336 home runs, and 1058 RBI with a .949 OPS. Looking at the Jays record books, Delgado leads the franchise in terms of offensive bWAR (39.4), SLG, OPS, plate appearances (6018), total bases (2786), doubles, home runs, and walks (827).

While Delgado was also the victim of some really rough Blue Jays seasons and a really stacked Hall of Fame first-year ballot, the Puerto Rican slugger holds many Jays records for a reason and is one of the top bats in the franchise’s history, as well as World Series ring for his few games in the 1993 season.

Jose Bautista

Prior to arriving in Toronto, José Bautista was a third baseman and was struggling to find consistent playing time on the field. While his impact with the Blue Jays was not immediately present following the midseason 2008 trade from the Pirates, the 2009 campaign saw the righty slugger gain some momentum before finding his power stroke in 2010 and beyond.

From 2010 to 2015, Bautista moved to right field and utilized his quick bat speed to find a way to keep driving in home runs, mashing 227 through 2962 at-bats and becoming one of the most feared hitters in the MLB. He led the Majors in round-trippers with 54 in 2010 (a Blue Jays single-season record) and earned six consecutive All-Star appearances through this time. This all led to Bautista and his “bat flip” heroics during the 2015 ALDS against the Texas Rangers, cementing himself in Toronto sports history by putting the Blue Jays ahead and eventually winning the series.

Overall, Bautista finished his Jays career with a .253/.372/.506 slash line, 288 home runs, 766 RBI, and a .878 OPS to go along with a 38.3 bWAR, which leads all Jays’ position players throughout the franchise’s history. He also sits second in terms of home runs behind Delgado, third in RBI, and fifth in terms of games played (1235). He also owns the single-season record for walks at 132.

Bautista’s time in Toronto ended when the Jays started to rebuild and he became a free agent in the 2017/2018 offseason. While he hasn’t officially retired, the Dominican slugger has not appeared in an MLB game since 2018. Many project he is a leading candidate for a spot on the Level of Excellence and also potentially a statue at the Rogers Centre.

Joe Carter

While I covered the “bat flip” earlier in this article, there is one home run in Blue Jays history that stands out among the rest.

Joe Carter joined the Blue Jays alongside Roberto Alomar when both were acquired during the 1990/1991 offseason from the San Diego Padres. In his first season with the Jays, Carter was nominated to the All-Star game and won a Silver Slugger Award.

He would follow this season with three more All-Star appearances while knocking in 30+ home runs on four separate occasions. Collectively, the righty-batter owns a .257/.308/.473 slash line with 203 home runs, 736 RBI, and a .781 OPS through seven seasons with the Blue Jays.

Carter only leads one category in Blue Jays history (sacrifice flies, 65), mostly attributed to his shorter stint with the club compared to other Jays legends, but he does own the biggest home run in franchise history while also being a part of both World Series championship teams.

I said earlier I would focus on a player’s overall accomplishments more so than one personal feat, but I think Carter’s overall accomplishments are more than deserving of a statue honouring his legacy as a member of the Blue Jays.