Blue Jays: Top-five greatest outfielders in franchise history

No. 4 Vernon Wells

Even after all the hits, all the home runs, and all the awards, Vernon Wells’ Blue Jays tenure is best remembered for one number: $126M.

Wells was coming off a 2006 season in which he eclipsed 30 home runs for the second time and 100 RBI for the third time when the Blue Jays signed him to a seven-year, $126M contract extension. It was at the time the sixth-largest contract in Major League history, a testament to Wells’ status as the face of the franchise following the departure of Carlos Delgado.

He never lived up to that contract, which became a burden the franchise could ill-afford. His batting average plummeted from .303 to .245 the following year. Not until 2010 would he hit more than 20 home runs in a season. He never again drove in 100 runs. The Blue Jays were finally able to get rid of the contract when they traded Wells to the Los Angels Angels for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera before the 2011 season.

But before that, Wells was a superstar in the making. He was just 20-years-old when he made his Blue Jays debut in 1999. In 2003, at the age of 24, he set a Blue Jays franchise record with 215 hits while hitting .317 with 33 home runs, 117 RBI, and a .909 OPS; Delgado is the only other player in franchise history to put up those numbers in a season. Three years later, he added 32 homers and 106 RBI on his way to his second All-Star Game selection.

Wells started 1,336 games in the outfield during his 12 years with the Blue Jays, the most in franchise history. He’s still the franchise leader among outfielders with 813 RBI and is second with 223 home runs. In the five-year span before the massive contract, he hit 139 homers and averaged a .835 OPS. He was also a graceful defender, winning three Gold Gloves with the Blue Jays.

His career began with so much promise, and while his contract became an albatross for the Blue Jays, he was still the cornerstone of the franchise for the better part of a decade.

No. 3 George Bell

Bell. Moseby. Barfield. It was a trio that defined the first decade of Blue Jays baseball, as the young franchise rose from the doldrums of the league into World Series contenders.

George Bell, along with his outfield partners Lloyd Moseby and Jesse Barfield, helped the Blue Jays win their first division title in 1985. The image of Bell catching the clinching out and falling to his knees became the first iconic image for the franchise. Two years later, Bell made history as the first player in franchise history to win the American League MVP Award.

Bell’s 134 RBI in that 1987 MVP season is still a single-season franchise record for outfielders. His 47 home runs stood as a franchise record until passed by José Bautista in 2010.

Before the next season, though, Bell was involved in a dispute that threatened to tarnish his reputation as a Blue Jays icon. Manager Jimy Williams wanted Bell to switch from his usual left-field position and become the club’s full-time designated hitter. Bell balked at the idea, even refusing to come out of the dugout during a Spring Training game. The club fined him $500; Bell stopped talking to his manager.

Bell wasn’t on speaking terms with Williams, but on Opening Day, a warm, sunny afternoon in Kansas City, he let his play do the talking. Bell hit the first pitch he saw from Royals starter Bret Saberhagen in the second inning over the left field fence for a home run. In the fourth, he hit a 2-2 pitch into the grass in center for a two-run homer. He hit another in the eighth, becoming the first player in MLB history with three Opening Day home runs. Saberhagen, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, started 371 games over his 16-year career; Bell was the only player to hit three home runs off him in a game.

Bell’s production fell off from that historic start as he added just 21 homers the rest of the season. His relationship with Williams remained strained until the manager was fired 36 games into the 1989 season. Even decades later, Bell hadn’t forgotten what happened.

“I have nothing bad to say against Jimy. But sometimes when people touch your territory, you have to be a man. That’s what happened,” he said upon his induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013.

Bell left the Blue Jays as a free agent after 1990, playing his final three years in Chicago with the Cubs and White Sox. He finished his career in Toronto with 202 home runs and 740 RBI, trailing only Vernon Wells and Bautista in both categories. His .811 OPS is fourth among outfielders with at least 1,000 plate appearances.

No. 2 Joe Carter

“Touch ‘em all Joe. You’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life.”

There hasn’t been a call that captured the magic of the moment more than Tom Cheek’s legendary words when Joe Carter hit the biggest home run in Blue Jays’ history. The image is etched in every Blue Jays’ fans' memories: Carter leaping up and down, fireworks exploding, fans rushing onto the field to celebrate the franchise’s second consecutive World Series title.

Carter arrived in Toronto in an almost equally franchise-altering moment two years before. He and Roberto Alomar were traded to the Blue Jays for franchise icon Tony Fernández and future Hall of Famer Fred McGriff in December 1990.

He then established himself as the most feared slugger the franchise had yet known. He hit at least 33 home runs in his first three years in a Blue Jays uniform. He drove in at least 100 runs every year. He twice finished in the top five in MVP voting.

The Blue Jays couldn’t have hoped for a better option to come to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 6 against the Phillies. The Blue Jays trailed 6-5 as the Phillies were threatening to send the series to the seventh game. Then Carter came up with two runners on to face Mitch Williams.

Carter was 0-4 in his career against Williams. The Phillies closer fell behind 2-0 before throwing a fastball that Carter took for a strike. Carter then made a weak lunge at a slider in the dirt as the count went 2-2. Williams shook off his catcher before throwing another slider. It was supposed to be high and away. It stayed low and in. Carter didn’t miss.

“When I made contact, I looked up and I couldn’t see the ball. All I saw was the bank of lights in left field. I knew I hit it good, but I didn’t know if I hit it high enough to get out. That’s what all the jumping was as I was going to first base: I was trying to see what the elevation of the baseball was and help it out of the park,” Carter reminisced to Sportsnet’s Evan Rosser 20 years later.

Carter’s three-run home run was only the second series-clinching walk-off home run in World Series history, and the first while trailing. “I was jumping up and down going to first base and the one thing I told myself was, ‘touch all the bases'”, Carter said. “I’m going along the bases, listening to fireworks, looking at all the fans, people running onto the field, knowing what had just happened.”

It was the pinnacle of Carter’s seven-year career with the Blue Jays, one that ensured a special place in franchise history. But even if the home run hadn’t happened, Carter would still be remembered as one of the greatest players to wear a Blue Jays uniform. The only year he didn’t eclipse 100 RBI with the Blue Jays was the strike-shortened 1995 season. In 1994, he was on pace for 150 RBI before the strike forced the cancellation of the rest of the season.

Carter hit 203 home runs with the Blue Jays, second to José Bautista and Vernon Wells among outfielders. He’s fourth in RBI. He was the first Blue Jays outfielder to eclipse 30 home runs in a season four times. His six seasons with at least 100 RBI are two more than any other outfielder in franchise history.

Carter will always be remembered for his series-ending home run, but he built a reputation for consistent production in the heart of a Blue Jays lineup that twice reached the top of the sport.

No. 1 José Bautista

In August 2008, the Blue Jays made a trade that caught the attention of practically nobody across the league. They acquired José Bautista, a journeyman who had played for four different clubs in his five-year career, from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later. That turned out to be Robinzon Díaz, who hit just one home run in his career and soon was working as a bullpen catcher.

Bautista could’ve been claimed off waivers by any team before the trade to the Blue Jays became official, but there wasn’t much of a market for a career .239 hitter who had never hit more than 16 home runs in a season. So he became a Blue Jay and fell into the capable hands of Cito Gaston.

Gaston imparted a simple lesson to Bautista: start early. If you think you’re starting too early, then start earlier than that. Gaston got Bautista to refine his timing and unlock his power potential. In 2010, that potential broke out in a big way.

Bautista hit 54 home runs that season, nearly matching his previous career total and becoming the first player in Blue Jays history to reach the 50-home run milestone. He added another 43 homers in 2011; Bautista hit 18 more home runs than any other player in the league over those two seasons. A true superstar, one who nobody seemingly wanted earlier in his career, was born.

Bautista made six straight All-Star Game appearances with the Blue Jays. He and Carlos Delgado are the only Blue Jays to hit at least 40 home runs in a season three times. He’s the Blue Jays' all-time leader in WAR and trails only Delgado with 288 career home runs. His 766 RBI are third-most in franchise history behind Delgado and Vernon Wells.

As good as Bautista was for his first years in Toronto, the club didn’t make the postseason until 2015. In their first playoff series since the 1993 World Series, the Blue Jays fell behind the Texas Rangers 2-0 before forcing a decisive fifth game back at the Rogers Centre. Then, in the midst of the wildest and strangest inning the team had ever played, Bautista came up to face Sam Dyson with two runners on and the score tied 3-3.

On a 1-1 count, Bautista hit a fastball deep into the left center field seats. What happened after has lived on in Blue Jays lore, as Bautista stood at the plate admiring the majestic flight of the ball before tossing his bat high up in the air. The “Bautista Bat Flip” became the most iconic image for the franchise since Carter’s leap around the bases more than two decades earlier and further solidified his place in history.

Bautista left the Blue Jays after the 2017 season. He made his return the following year, this time as a member of the New York Mets, and received a rousing ovation from the Blue Jays faithful. “It feels great, it feels like nothing has changed,” he said upon his return. “It’s a good feeling to be back. Obviously, a lot of emotions and a lot of memories. You like to be able to enjoy those. It has been great so far.”

He was a mediocre talent bouncing around the majors before his journey took him to Toronto. With the Blue Jays, he became “Joey Bats,” a stunning story of transformation and redemption for a player who proved it’s never too late to start unlocking your true potential.