Blue Jays all-time best starting lineup based on WAR

Left field: George Bell, 20.2 fWAR

The Blue Jays hit the jackpot when they snagged George Bell from the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980 Rule 5 draft. He became an integral piece of the team's success, and part of the heavy-hitting outfield of the 1980s, along with Jesse Barfield and Lloyd Moseby.

Bell made his major league debut in 1981, played in 60 games, and received some Rookie of the Year votes despite hitting a pedestrian .233 with a .606 OPS. He spent 1982 in Triple-A, and when he got his shot again in 1983, he didn't look back.

In 1984, his first full season patrolling left field for the Jays, he hit .292 with an .824 OPS, 26 home runs and 87 RBI, earning himself MVP votes in a foreshadowing of things to come.

He finished eighth and fourth in AL MVP voting over the next two seasons before winning the franchise's first MVP award in 1987. In what was the best offensive season of his career, he hit .308 with a .957 OPS, 47 home runs and an AL-leading 134 RBI. He also received his first of three career All-Star invitations and his third Silver Slugger in as many years.

Bell finished his nine-season Toronto career with a .286/.325/.486 slash line and leads all Jays left fielders in games played (1,181), hits (1294), doubles (237), runs (641) and RBI (740). His 202 home runs are surpassed only by Joe Carter's 203.

Bell left Toronto in free agency after the 1990 season and spent three seasons in Chicago, two with the Cubs and one with the White Sox, before retiring.

The beloved outfielder, who helped build a playoff contender throughout the 1980s but missed out on the World Series titles, was rightfully honored with induction into the franchise's Level of Excellence in 1996.

Next: Who takes home the hotly contested title of all-time best Blue Jays center fielder?