FanSided

5 of the most random Blue Jays killers of the 21st century

By Darcy Weiss |
Seattle Mariners v Toronto Blue Jays
Seattle Mariners v Toronto Blue Jays / Cole Burston/GettyImages
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Over the years, there have been plenty of hitters that greatly outperformed their career averages when playing against the Blue Jays, leaving a lasting mark on their matchups. One standout player who consistently performed at an elite level against the Blue Jays was David Ortiz, who's towering home runs and clutch hits became a common sight in games against the Blue Jays, earning him a reputation as one of the biggest Blue Jays killers. Big Papi is the all-time leader in home runs against the Blue Jays, but he was a great hitter against every team. Let’s look at some players who are not going to be elected to the Hall of Fame, but killed the Blue Jays when they played.

Seattle Mariners - C: Cal Raleigh

Is it just me or does it seem like Cal Raleigh homers in every at bat against the Blue Jays? Well, it's not quite every at bat, but he has hit seven home runs in just 42 at bats, which is roughly 13 percent of his entire home run total. The switch hitting catcher has two, two-home run games this season and a total of five with a 1.158 slugging percentage this season after going 4/8 with a home run and three RBI last postseason against the Jays. He owns a career batting average of .215, though against the Blue Jays, he’s hitting .286. He is known for the power he possesses in hit bat, though it just seems that he sees the ball much better when he faces Blue Jays pitching. The Mariners have been one of if not the hottest teams in baseball since the All-Star break, and while Raleigh isn’t their most intimidating hitter, his ability to produce in clutch situations when playing against the Blue Jays in just 12 games makes him one of the most random Blue Jays Killers. 

Baltimore Orioles - 1B: Ryan Mountcastle

Ryan Mountcastle is another guy that particularly crushes Blue Jays pitching, as no one has more home runs or hits than he does against Blue Jays pitching since 2020. He’s hit 15 home runs, 27 extra base hits with 43 RBI and owns a slash line of .330/.394/.619/1.013 in 52 games against the Jays. This season, he’s only hit one home run, though he has a .361 batting average and 10 RBI in 10 games. The Orioles first baseman is a career .264 hitter who has feasted off of Blue Jays pitching ever since he entered the Major Leagues. Since he plays for a division viral, Blue Jays fans should be prepared to face Mountcastle for several more years to come, making us all hold our breath when he steps up to the plate. He is a good hitter in general, but it feels like the Jays can never get him out.

Oakland Athletics/Cleveland Guardians - OF: Ramón Laureano

This one seems fresh, as his Cleveland Guardians just took the series from the Jays where he hit .454 with two home runs and six RBI, but Ramón Laureano has been a Jays killer for a few years now. Since 2020, the Dominican outfielder has played 13 games against the Blue Jays where he’s hit six home runs, four doubles with 13 runs scored and 12 driven in with a slash line of .375/.519/.925/1.444. These are ridiculous numbers for a guy hitting .225 this season and .247 for his entire career. Whether he’s been with the Athletics or the Guardians, it does not seem to matter. The sample size isn’t huge, but when Ramón Laureano has played against the Jays, he’s produced at a rate that is far beyond his career averages. 

Tampa Bay Rays/Minnesota Twins - SP: Chris Archer

Chris Archer pitched for ten Major League seasons with three different teams, racking up a 63-89 record with a 3.93 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. In 26 games started, Archer owns a 3.03 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and 171 strikeouts through 160.1 innings against the Blue Jays. For a few years during the early 2010’s, Archer seemed to be on track to becoming one of the more reliable pitchers in the American League, though from 2016-2022 his ERA was above 4.00 each season. During that stretch from 2016-2022, he owned an ERA of 4.35 and a record of 31-57. Against the Blue Jays during that same time period, he owned an ERA of 2.73 with 86 strikeouts across 69.1 innings. Even when his production was declining, he still gave the Blue Jays trouble every time he was on the mound. 

Baltimore Orioles - 1B: Chris Davis

Another player who consistently wreaked havoc on the Toronto Blue Jays, was Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles. Davis, a left-handed power hitter, had a knack for unleashing his full offensive potential when facing the Blue Jays' pitching staff. His long home runs became all too familiar to Toronto fans, as Davis seemed to single handedly swing games in Baltimore's favor on numerous occasions. Davis consistently delivered against the Blue Jays, earning him the reputation as a thorn in Toronto's side during his tenure with the Orioles. Though he did have a stretch from 2012-2016 where he was known as one of the premier power hitters in the Major Leagues, he hit 42 home runs against the Blue Jays, ranking as the third most since 2001. He also hit .253 against the Blue Jays, and just .233 for his career. Davis was a very scary hitter for many pitchers to face during his prime, but when he played the Blue Jays, his numbers were elevated. 

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