Top 5 catchers in Blue Jays franchise history by WAR

2. Gregg Zaun 10.8 WAR

By the time Gregg Zaun came to the Blue Jays in 2004, he was 33, in his tenth season. He was expected to add depth and some veteran experience gained through being a part of six different MLB teams. 

The ‘04 team struggled, going 67-94, but Zaun took advantage of his best opportunity for steady playing time.  Playing in the most games of his career, he enjoyed one of his best seasons, hitting .269 with a career-high 24 doubles, six homers, a .761 OPS, and a 2.3 WAR, and also threw out a respectable 28% of attempted base-stealers. 

Toronto made a 13-win improvement in 2005, and Zaun had his best season and reached career-highs in games played, hits, runs, and RBI. The Blue Jays signed Bengie Molina as their starting catcher in 2006, and the duo’s production contributed to another seven-win improvement that season.  Zaun embraced his role as a backup and occasional DH and hit a career-best 12 homers, with a .825 OPS and a 3.6 WAR.

Zaun parlayed that into a two-year free-agent deal to stay in T.O., undeterred by the fact that the team was also pursuing Rod Barajas, whom they’d sign two years later. Zaun’s most memorable moment with the franchise was a walk-off grand slam in an extra-innings win over the Rays in 2008. 

Zaun was a self-made player and worked hard to get a chance to start. Once that happened, the crafty veteran was at his best with the Blue Jays and is one of the most underrated at he position in franchise history.