Blue Jays: Best players in franchise history to wear jersey numbers 61-70

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Following the previous series of articles, we'll now look at the best players in Blue Jays franchise history to wear jersey numbers 61-70.

61. Gift Ngoepe

There has only been a single player in Blue Jays franchise history to wear the jersey number 61, and it was Gift Ngoepe. Ngoepe broke into the major leagues in 2017 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, becoming the first African-born player to play in the MLB. The following season he was traded to the Blue Jays for cash considerations, where he played in just 13 games with 19 plate appearances. Only being able to collect a single hit, Ngoepe didn’t stick around any further than 2018, but he will always be the first African major leaguer. He might not have had an impact on the scoreboard, but his impact on the growth of the game in Africa could be huge.

62. Aaron Loup

Aaron Loup played seven seasons in Toronto, holding a 12-20 record with a 3.47 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Making 369 appearances as a Blue Jay, Loup was one of the busier relief pitchers during his tenure with the team, mainly used in a setup role. His funky delivery allowed for a strong start to his career with three straight sub-4.00 ERA seasons, though he was never able to stay under that mark again with the club. The left-hander had a decent run with the Jays, and didn’t have much competition for the best player to wear number 62, as Jacob Waguespack is the only other player to wear the number and play multiple seasons with the team.

63. Kevin Gregg

Kevin Gregg only played a single season with the Blue Jays, finishing with a 2-6 record, 37 saves, a 3.51 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. Gregg’s 37 saves in 2010 ranks as the fifth most in a single season as a Blue Jay. The big right-hander’s single season in Toronto was the best of his solid 13-year career, and was clearly the best player in franchise history to wear the number 63. The only others to don 63 were Wilmer Font and Anthony Castro, neither of whom having any impact with the club.

64. Chad Jenkins

Chad Jenkins spent all four of his major league seasons with the Blue Jays, holding a 3-4 record with a 3.31 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Only managing to pitch 100.2 innings in his career, his numbers aren’t terrible, aside from his 4.9 K/9 rate. The Tennessee native was never given the ball in a major league game after 2015 as he played the following season in AAA with the Buffalo Bisons before retiring in 2017. No one else impacted the team while wearing number 64, though the reigning stolen bases leader, Jon Berti of the Miami Marlins, broke into the league playing four games with the Jays wearing the number.

65. N/A

Only two players have worn the number 65 in Blue Jays franchise history - Taylor Guerrieri and Elvis Lucaino. Yeah, I don’t remember them either. Apparently, Guerrieri pitched 9.2 innings with the team, and Luciano managed just 33.2 innings back in 2019, as a 19-year-old. Not enough of a meaningful sample size for either to be considered as options, so we’ll just have to wait on 65.

66. Munenori Kawasaki

Munenori Kawasaki played three seasons in Toronto, batting .237 with a .320 OBP. The Japanese infielder is mostly remembered for capturing the hearts of all fans with his infectious personality and lightheartedness. Kawasaki was a strong defender all around the infield, but was never able to consistently produce offensively. Juan Guzman also wore number 66 as a Blue Jay, but he was chosen as the best player to wear number 57 in the previous article, so Kawasaki is the next best.

67. Julian Merryweather

Julian Merryweather had a strong start to his career racking up strikeouts with his high-90s fastball before suffering several injuries derailing his hype. Merryweather was only able to throw 52.2 innings over four seasons with the club. Once healthy enough to return to the bullpen, he was unable to recapture his stuff from his rookie season and struggled to get outs. Now pitching for the Chicago Cubs, it remains to be seen if Merryweather can get back to his impactful ways, but he is still the best player to wear the number 67 for the Blue Jays. Chien-Ming Wang, Andrew Albers, Jonathan Davis and Buddy Boshers each wore the number for a single season, but never made an impact.

68. Jordan Romano

Aside from his first 15.1 innings pitched, Jordan Romano has performed at an elite level, and is entrenched as one of the most reliable relief pitchers in the entire league. He already ranks seventh in the team’s all time saves leaderboard with 62, in just two seasons as the primary closer. Over the past three seasons, Romano owns a spectacular 2.03 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 11.4 K/9 rate. The Markham, Ontario native was recognized with his first All-Star game selection in 2022, a season in which he recorded 36 saves. Yan Gomes, Arnold León and Rowdy Tellez all wore 68 for a single season but Romano is the obvious choice.

69. N/A

The only two players to wear 69 with the Blue Jays were Pete Munro and Tommy Milone. Munro threw just 81 uninspiring innings for the Jays, owning a 6.00 ERA and 1.82 WHIP, while Tommy Milone threw only 14 subpar innings just a season ago. Neither player did much in a Blue Jays uniform, so we’ll hold off on crowning anyone for now.

70. Domingo Cedeño

Domingo Cedeño will be remembered by only the staunchest of Blue Jays fans. He played four quiet seasons with the Blue Jays, hitting six home runs and a .246 AVG in 645 plate appearances. Never playing in more than 77 games a season, Cedeño was a utility infielder with solid defence all around the dirt, but never impressed with the bat. His finale with the team was an improvement, as his average rose to .280 before being traded to the Chicago White Sox, but he wore number 20 during that season. Others to wear number 70 with the team for one unimpressive season include Reese McGuire and Anthony Kay.

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