Top 5 outfielders in Blue Jays franchise history by WAR

1. Jose Bautista (36.2 fWAR)

And, without a shred of doubt, the No. 1 position belongs to Jose Bautista. What can be said about Bautista that you don't already know? He was an absolute force with his time with Jays, leading the team to its big playoff pushes in the 2010s.

Bautista came up with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2004 as a relatively unknown, low-expectation outfielder from Dominican Republic. Bautista would go on to to bounce around four teams in 2004 before once again settling with the Pirates. Bautista would be traded to the Jays in 2008 after two very average seasons, never eclipsing a 100 wRC+. In Toronto, coaches realized Bautista was starting his swing too late and needed to load quicker. This small mechanical adjustment would propel Bautista into stardom, as he went on to be a 6x consecutive All-Star and 3x Silver Slugger.

While Bautista was never an excellent defender or baserunner, his offensive capabilities at his peak were truly in a league of their own. He broke out with the Blue Jays in 2010 when he hit a league high 54 home runs, along with 124 RBI and 100 walks. He slashed a mighty .260/.378/.617, too, which not only helped him land fourth in MVP voting that year, but his first Silver Slugger award.

Bautista's career year would arguably come a year later in 2011, where he truly refined his game. 2011 was the year Bautista found the perfect combination of power, patience and contact. Bautista once again led the league in home runs with 43, also leading the league in walks with 132 and OPS (1.056). He slashed .302/.447/.608, good for a staggering wRC+ of 180.

While these two years were memorable in their own way, Bautista's best moment as a Jay came in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS, in a moment known as the "bat flip". After trailing for most of the game, Bautista hammered a 3-run go-ahead home run in the 7th against Sam Dyson, where he would majestically flip his bat, crowning the Jays as ALDS champs. This bat flip would start a heated rivalry between the Jays and Rangers that would culminate in a famous brawl between Bautista and Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor. Although Bautista couldn't (technically) retire as a Jay, fans will always remember not only the bad boy persona, but immense offensive talent he provided the club.