Top 5 first basemen in Blue Jays franchise history by WAR

2. John Olerud (22.6 bWAR)

All "Johnny O" did was hit. After completely skipping the minor leagues, Olerud settled in very comfortably with the Jays, posting a 130 OPS+ in 8 seasons with the squad. Olerud has the highest OBP of any Blue Jay, marked at .395. What everyone remembers Olerud best for was the remarkable 1993 season.

After becoming the starting first baseman for the Jays, Olerud exploded offesinvely in 1993, batting .363/.473/.599 good for a staggering 186 OPS+. He hit a major league high 54 doubles, and finished 3rd in MVP voting. Oleruds performance was a major factor why the Jays were able to win the World Series that year. Olerud has an All Star appearance, and 2 World Series championships with the Jays, making him one of the more accomplished players in the franchise.

While '93 was the peak of Oleruds career, he remained incredibly consistent, year after year. He could always be relied on to be a reliable middle of the order bat, with a terrific eye at the plate. The Jays would end up moving on from Olerud to make space for an upcoming power hitting first baseman by trading him to the New York Mets, where he would continue to be a stalwart hitter up until the end of his career. Players like Olerud don't come around every day, and the Jays were an incredibly lucky team to have him for so many productive seasons in Toronto.