The 9 Greatest Seasons by Position in Blue Jays History

Winter doldrums have taken me over. I miss baseball. I wake every morning, and like so many of you, scour social media for any sign of life from the Blue Jays front office. This week’s one year contracts to avoid arbitration provided me with far more entertainment than it should. April seems so far away. So until then, and while there are no other moves happening, let’s remember some of the greatest seasons ever by our beloved Blue Jays.

With at least one of these players leaving this team this offseason, it seems a good time to make this sort of list. Taking into consideration how the league performed in each of these seasons, and paying attention to individual accolades, here are the greatest seasons in Blue Jays history at the nine spots on the diamond:

BONUS – Designated Hitter:

Edwin Encarnacion, 2012: .280/.354/.557, 42 HR, 110 RBIS, 150 wRC+

We are going to miss this man now that he’s a Cleveland Indian. He was just so much better than any other DH the Jays have ever had, way ahead of everyone else on the all-time Toronto Blue Jay DH leaderboard in pretty much every stat. In terms of wRC+ and TAv, which as a DH are certainly a relevant stat, Edwin’s 2012-2015 seasons are the top four of any DH the Jays have ever had. (His 2016 season was his worst by both metrics since he broke out, and he’s almost as old as I am, so there’s reason to think he can’t continue that success going forward. This thought, at least, is how I sleep at night as he moves to the city of Rock and Roll.)

Of all these seasons, Encarnacion’s 2012 was the best. He managed to have the most HR, RBI, SLG and OPS of any DH that season. It was also the only season as a member of the Jay that he spent a significant amount of time without a fellow elite offensive player in the order, as Jose Bautista was limited to only 92 games that year. Edwin has provided this franchise with so many amazing seasons, and so many amazing moments, including one last year that we will all never forget. He also happened to provide, in 2012, the greatest season in Jays DH history.

Also considered:

Dave Winfield, 1992: The first time the Jays had made a big free agent splash in their history, Winfield would prove that, even at age 40, he could still rake. He would win the silver slugger award at season’s end and would cap it all off with the most famous double in team history, providing the winning hit of the World Series.

Paul Molitor, 1993: This future hall of famer would make the All-Star team and finish second in MVP voting in his first season as a Blue Jay. He would also win the silver slugger and cap off his season by being named the MVP of the World Series. His .332/.402/.509 line isn’t too shabby, either.

Adam Lind: 2009: Lind won his only silver slugger award in 2009. This long-time Blue Jay hit .305/.370/.562. That slugging percentage is the highest of any Blue Jay season by a DH, ever.

9. Right Field

Jose Bautista, 2011: .302/.447/.608, 43 HR, 105 RBI, 181 wRC+, All-Star, Silver Slugger

No one should be surprised to see this name on the list. What may surprise some is the season that I have selected as his greatest. The previous year, in 2010, Jose managed 54 HR, the most in Blue Jays history, but his 2011 season was better rounded, highlighted by his .447 OBP, 357 TAv and 181 wRC+. In the past 25 years, only Bryce Harper’s 2015 season had a higher wRC+ than Bautista’s 2011, and only Harper and Sammy Sosa’s 64 HR 2001 are ahead in TAv. After signing an extension after his break-out 2010 season, Joey Bats could have, nay, should have won the MVP.

He did win the Hank Aaron Award as the best offensive player in baseball for the second consecutive year, and received the most votes in baseball and was subsequently a starter at the All-Star game. Offensively, it was possibly the greatest season in Toronto Blue Jay history, at any position, so it certainly deserves a place on this list as the greatest season by a right fielder. Defensively, Bautista has never been spectacular, but he did manage a career high 13 outfield assists in 2011, while actually spending most of July as the third baseman. He will remain in Blue Jays lore and almost certainly one day have his name etched in the level of excellence, but in 2011, as the Blue Jays starting right fielder for most of the season, he had was the best right fielder the Jays have ever had.

Also Considered:

Jesse Barfield, 1986: Jesse Barfield had a monster season in 1986. Like Jose in 2011, Barfield could have very well been named the MVP that season, but instead finished a distant 6th (behind even teammate George Bell). He led the majors in home-runs, won the silver slugger and gold glove, and made the All-Star team.

Shawn Green: 1999: This was the monster season many were expecting from Green from the time he broke into the majors. He won the silver slugger and gold glove, and made the All-Star team while finishing fifth in MVP voting. His .309/.384/.588 slash line was incredible, to say the least.

8. Centre Field

Vernon Wells, 2006: .303/.357/.542, 32 HR, 17SB, Gold Glove, All-Star

The Blue Jays have been spoiled by having many fantastic centre fielders in their 40 year history. Of the multitude of seasons and players to choose from, none was better than Vernon Wells’ 2006 season. He won his third consecutive Gold Glove at an elite defensive position, while also having an incredible offensive season. This All-Star would parlay his career year into signing the biggest contract in Blue Jays history, a contract he would not come close to living up to. But Wells was the best centre fielder the Blue Jays ever had, and his 2006 season was the best season by a centre fielder in Blue Jays history.

Also Considered:

Lloyd Moseby, 1984: Moseby was one of the greatest centre fielders of the 1980s and one part of what was certainly the greatest outfield in Jays history, flanked by George Bell and Jesse Barfield. Moseby’s best season came in 1984, as the Jays were just coming into their own as contenders. He hit 18 home runs and stole 39 bases to go along with a .280/.368/.470 slash line.

Devon White, 1991: White’s best season as a Blue Jay came in his first season as a member of the team. He won the Gold Glove award as the best defensive centre fielder in the game and helped the Jays make the postseason. He had a strong all around offensive season that year as well, hitting 17 home-runs and stealing 33 bases from the leadoff spot.

Jose Cruz, Jr., 2001: While he didn’t have the same strong career as a Blue Jay as any of Wells, Moseby or White, Cruz, in 2001, had one of the best offensive seasons by a Blue Jay centre fielder. He had an .857 OPS while being the only the second Blue Jay to ever reach the 30/30 plateau, stealing 30 bases and hitting 30 home-runs in the same season.

7. Left Field

Rickey Henderson, 1993: .215/.356/.319 22 SB, World Series

This time last year, the BPToronto staff were all tasked with picking the player we believe to be the greatest Blue Jay of all time. As this writer’s selection was Rickey Henderson, who played all of half a season with the team, it seems the only option would be to choose that season as the greatest left field season of all time, as well. Coming to the team in a trade, Henderson hit a whopping .214 after immediately being placed in the lead-off position. He would also…

Ok Ok. I’m joking. There’s a real answer here, and it’s fairly obvious. The greatest season all time for a left fielder is:

George Bell, 1987: .308/.352/.605, 47 home-runs, MVP, Silver Slugger, All-Star

Lots has been said about George Bell’s MVP win in 1987. The first of its kind of the Toronto Blue Jays, baseball historians often debate whether or not it was warranted. What’s not debatable is that it was a monster season, offensively. A slash line of .308/.352/.605 to go along with 47 HR and 134 RBIs is a pretty spectacular season by any standard. Bell didn’t run the bases well or play a very good left field, but his 1987, a year in which he made the All-Star team and won a silver slugger award to go along with his MVP award, has to go down as the greatest season by a Blue Jay left fielder of all time. Offensively, no one else really came all that close.

Also Considered:

Dave Collins, 1984: Not really close to Bell’s, Collins gets his name on this list because, in only 128 games, he set the team record with 60 stolen bases – a record that still stands. He also hit very well that season, to the tune of .308/.366/.444.

Joe Carter, 1991: Level of excellence member Carter is most famous for THAT home-run, but he was very solid in 1991, a bounce-back campaign for him after he was traded to the Jays after a very poor 1990. He made the All-Star team and won the silver slugger on his way to helping the Jays return to the post-season after a one-year absence.

Shannon Stewart, 2000: The most complete season by a left-fielder in Blue Jay history, Stewart hit .319 with 21 home-runs, 20 stolen bases and played a very good left-field in the year 2000. It was the career year of a player who spent years as a solid every day left fielder for the team.

6. Shortstop

Tony Fernandez, 1987 .322/.379/.426, 32 SB, Gold Glove, All-Star

The second entry on this list from the same season, Tony Fernandez had a splendid season in his own right the year his teammate was winning the MVP. The all-time leader in games played as a Blue Jay, Fernandez was at his best in 1987, hitting for average, stealing a career-high in bases and winning his seconnd of four consecutive Gold Gloves. Overshadowed during the season as Alan Trammell had one of the best seasons by a shortstop of all time, Fernandez was nonetheless a deserving All-Star for the second time. Fernandez had other seasons that likely could have been included on this list, but his 1987 makes the cut over the rest.

Also Considered:

Tony Batista, 1999: Batista’s 26 home-runs are still a record for Blue Jays shortstops. His .565 slugging percentage is over 100 points higher than any qualified Jays shortstop, and had he have been with the team all year, instead of only 94 games after a mid-season trade, it’s very possible that Batista would be number one on this list.

Marco Scuturo, 2008: Utility player Marco Scutaro came to Toronto in 2008 to take over the shortstop position. He had a career year in 2009, hitting double digit home-runs and stealing bases for the first time in his career. He played a very solid shortstop, and his 13.2% walk-rate and .379 OBP was surpassed by no other Blue Jay shortstop in history.

5. Third Base

Josh Donaldson, 2015: .297/.371/.568, 41 HR, MVP, Hank Aaron Award, Silver Slugger, All-Star

This was an easy decision. Winning the MVP award over the best player of this generation in Mike Trout, Donaldson helped the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays break a 22 year play-off drought, capping it off by hitting an extra-innings walk-off home run in the home finale. There’s other names on the “also considered” list, but really, there was only ever one consideration here. Josh Donaldson probably had the best all around season of any Blue Jay position player in team history in 2015. Arriving in a surprise trade in the offseason, he quickly endeared himself to fans, making everyone forget about fan favourite Brett Lawrie while taking a step forward in his career performance-wise.

Also Considered:

Kelly Gruber, 1990: Long time Blue Jay and long time mullet aficionado Kelly Gruber had his best season in 1990. He hit 31 home-runs, while winning both the silver slugger and gold glove award and making the All-Star team for the second time in his career. Until Donaldson came along, this was the standard for Jays third base seasons.

Josh Donaldson, 2016: Troy Glaus, and Tonys Fernandez and Batista all had fairly decent seasons at third base for the Jays, but no-one else really came close to what Donaldson has done the past two seasons. His 2016 probably doesn’t quite measure up defensively or all-around as his MVP season, but he did walk much more and strikeout less in 2016 than 2015.

4. Second Base

Roberto Alomar, 1993 .326/.408/.492 55 SB, Gold Glove, All-Star

Being voted to an All-Star team that you get to play in front of your home fans or scoring the winning run of the World Series are probably the kind of things people only dream of. Robbie Alomar accomplished all of those things in 1991 and 1992, respectively, but his 1993 season was the greatest ever by a second baseman in Blue Jays history.

This future Hall of Famer dazzled fans with his diving grabs, his daring steal attempts and his all around excellent bat. Hitting seconnd, third, and sixth in the order at different points of the season, Alomar would finish with the thirrd highest batting average in the American league, behind teammates John Olerud and Paul Molitor, marking the first time in over 100 year that teammates would finish in the top three in this category. He would also finish 6th in the end of year MVP race, and finish first in our hearts (or at least mine).

Also Considered:

Roberto Alomar, 1992: With numbers almost identical to his 1993, minus the power numbers (9 homeruns in 1992 vs. 17 in 1992) Alomar finished 6th in MVP voting, as well as being named to the All-Star team and winning a gold glove. He also capped the season off by winning the ALCS MVP and helping lead the team to their first championship in history and scoring the aforementioned series winning run.

Orlando Hudson, 2005: Hudson’s three seasons as the Blue Jays regular second baseman were all very similar and very solid. His last season as a Blue Jay featured elite defense and a .271/.315/.412. Those are solid, yet unspectacular numbers for a middle infielder, but he makes this list because in addition to this, he managed to win the first of what would be multiple gold gloves.

Aaron Hill, 2009: His 36 home runs remain a single season record for Blue Jays keystone sackers. He made the All-Star team that season for the only time in his career, won the Silver Slugger Award and the Comeback Player of the Year Award. Together with the aforementioned Adam Lind, they surprised everyone as one of the top two hitters on the team for that season.

3. First Base

John Olerud, 1993 .363/.473/.599, All-Star, World Series

In his fourth full season as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Olerud finally lived up to the potential the team had seen when they elected to trade one of the best hitters in baseball, Fred McGriff, to allow him to play full time, in 1991. After two solid, but unspectacular seasons, Olerud took off in 1993, spending almost the entire season as the batting average leader, and was hitting .400 as late as August 2nd. He would finish the season third in MVP award voting, but likely deserved to win. He did make an All-Star team, and win his second world series. At a position that has featured some fantastic performances, Olerud’s 1993 stands above the rest. He had a very solid career, but would never be this good never again. For one season though, this man’sbeautiful swing provided many magical moments, and the greatest season of any other Blue Jay first baseman.

Also Considered:

Willie Upshaw, 1983: The first Blue Jay to ever reach the 100 RBI plateau, Upshaw had a career year in 1983, slashing .306/.373/.515 and was likely better than every other MLB first baseman not named Eddie Murray. Not on par with a couple other seasons the team has received from their first basemen, it nonetheless deserves a spot on this list as the best offensive season the Blue Jays had seen to that point of their existence.

Carlos Delgado, 2000: Delgado had a monster season in 2000, with a slash line of ..344/.470/.664. He also had 41 home runs, and finished fourth in MVP award voting. This season was on par with Olerud’s 1993, but finishes slightly behind on this list because the league-wide offense in 2000 was much more explosive than in 1993.

2. Catcher

Russell Martin, 2015 .240/.329/.458, 23 HR, 44% CS, All-Star

This may surprise many people, but Russell Martin’s 2015 campaign was the greatest season by a catcher in team history. Not only were his 23 home-runs tied for the most home-runs ever by a catcher in team history, but he finished second in the Gold Glove Award voting after leading the league in caught stealing rate, made the All-Star team (only the 3rd time this happened for a catcher in Blue Jays history), and played a big part in solidifying a rotation and a team that would make the postseason for the first time in 22 years. The first elite catcher the Blue Jays have ever had, Martin’s first season with the team didn’t fail to live up to expectations.

Also Considered:

Ernie Whitt, 1985: The longest-serving catcher in Blue Jays history made his only All-Star Game in 1985. He spent the 1980s with solid seasons as the left-handed hitting side of Bobby Cox’s catcher platoon (Buck Martinez served as the other half of the platoon) and deserves a mention on this list.

Darren Fletcher, 2000: Despite not being the strongest catcher defensively, Fletcher had the greatest offensive season by a Jays catcher in 2000, as both his .320 average and .515 slugging percentage were the best in team history at the position. He hit three home-runs in one game on Aug 27th, and was one of seven Blue Jays to hit 20 home-runs that season.

1.Pitcher

Roger Clemens, 1997: 21-7 2.05 ERA, 292 SO, Cy Young Award, All-Star

This season was easily the best by a pitcher in Blue Jays history. It’s actually one of the best in baseball history, in general. Clemens was signed as a high profile free agent in the offseason, and somehow exceeded expectations as he ended up winning the Pitching Triple Crown with the most wins, best ERA, and most strikeouts in the American League, en route to winning the Cy Young award. His 2.05 ERA is the best in Blue Jays history despite coming in the middle of one of the biggest offensive seasons ever. He also had the most strikeouts in Blue Jays history. Incredibly, Clemens only allowed 9 homeruns that season. It was probably the best season of Clemens’ career, and certainly the best season in Jays history.

Also considered:

Dave Stieb, 1984: The Blue Jays first superstar, Stieb had perhaps his finest season in 1984. His 2.83 ERA was second in the AL, as were his 198 strikeouts. He also led the league in innings pitched and started the All-Star Game for the second year in a row.

Roger Clemens, 1998: Unable to quite top his previous season, Clemens nonetheless posted another Triple Crown campaign and won another Cy Young. He had the highest strikeout rate of anyone in Blue Jays history, and was again the best pitcher in baseball.

Roy Halladay, 2003: The best pitcher in team history won his only Cy Young Award as a member of the Jays in 2003, making the All-Star Game and leading the American League in wins and innings (by over 20!), while finishing only 3 strikeouts away from first. It was a great year, just not quite great enough.

And this concludes this month’s installment of “The Nine.” I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. These trips down memory lane (or, in the case of mid-80s teams, a historical study) are always great fun.

Lead Photo: © Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports