The Greatest Blue Jays Position Player Seasons Ever
Toronto Blue Jays fans have been privileged to see some great ballplayers. These are the greatest single-season performances by position players in club history.
George Bell 1987
Despite George Bell's 1987 ranking 25th in fWAR it belongs among the greatest Blue Jays seasons because it was the first time a Blue Jay took home the league's top individual honor. During Bell's MVP season he slugged 47 home runs, good for 2nd most ever by a Blue Jay. His 134 RBI are the 3rd most ever and led the league that year. George Bell also led the league in total bases with 369, good enough for the 3rd highest total in Blue Jays history. Bell's .308 AVG also ranks very well as the 22nd best Blue Jays total ever.
Carlos Delgado 2000
Delgado's 2000 season is arguably the greatest offensive performance in Blue Jays history. His 75.9 OFF is the greatest ever by a Jay. He set and still holds the club records for doubles (57), total bases (378), Runs Created (186), XBH (99), SLG (.664), and OPS (1.134). His 137 RBI that year set a new club record and still rank as the 2nd most, topped only by his own 2003 season total of 145. It wasn't just the power numbers where he excelled, his .344 AVG is ranked 2nd all-time. He also drew the second most walks with 123. His 115 runs and 196 hits both ranks within the club's top 10.
Roberto Alomar 1993
It was a real toss-up between Alomar's 1992 and 1993 seasons for which was the greatest season ever by a Blue Jays middle infielder. Alomar produced 5.7 fWAR in '93, good for 19th all-time by a Blue Jays hitter and the second best mark by a middle infielder after the 6.1 he contributed in '92. His .326 AVG in '93 stands as the 6th best ever by a Blue Jay. He was one of 3 Blue Jays in 1993 to top the then record of .322 set by Tony Fernandez in 1987. Alomar's 109 runs are tied for 13th best in club history and are the most ever by a middle infielder. His 55 stolen bases are the second most ever by a Toronto player.
Jose Bautista 2010
Bautista smashed the Jays home run record when he crushed 54 balls in his surprising breakout season. He led the league in home runs and total bases that year. Bautista earns extra credit points for bringing excitement back to Toronto baseball after many years of mediocre teams. His at bats were the first must see TV from a Blue Jays hitter since Carlos Delgado left following the 2004 season. From a WAR standpoint Bautista's 2011 was actually a better year when he hit for a higher average and set a new team record for walks with 132 free passes, but, from a pure baseball excitement standpoint, his 2010 season was his best.
John Olerud 1993
1993 was one of the most exciting seasons in Toronto baseball history and John Olerud was the team's best player that year. His 8.1 fWAR ranks tied for 2nd with Bautista's 2011 season and was the greatest fWAR total by a Blue Jay up to that point in history. His .363 AVG and .473 OBP still stand as the best ever. His 54 doubles set a new Blue Jays record before being topped by Carlos Delgado. He also became just the second Blue Jay to record 200 hits in a season.
Jesse Barfield 1986
Barfield was the best defensive right fielder of the mid-80s and in 1986 he had his best offensive season. His 7.5 fWAR ranks 5th all-time among Blue Jays hitters. His 40 home runs were the most ever by a Blue Jay at the time and he led the league that year. He also set new team records with 107 runs and 108 RBI.
Devon White 1992
Devon White's 1992 ranks hands down as the best defensive performance in Blue Jays history. He has the highest scores on both Fangraph's and Baseball-Reference's defensive metrics, and it's not even close. He had a strong all-around season and his 5.9 fWAR ranks 16th. He also had the 12th best base running season according to his 5.7 BsR and his 37 SB are tied for 14th.
Russell Martin 2015
Russell Martin's 2015 was the best overall season by a Blue Jays catcher due to his 3.5 fWAR being the second best by a catcher and being one of the team leaders that helped them reach the postseason for the first time in over 2 decades. Martin's 23 home runs are tied for the most in team history by a catcher. His 76 runs are 13 more than any other Blue Jays catcher. Martin's 77 RBI rank third in team history.
Lloyd Moseby 1984
In 1984 Lloyd Moseby put up the best season ever by a Blue Jay position player up to that point. To this day it still ranks as one of the most complete all-around seasons ever by a Toronto player. He was outstanding defensively and had a career year with the glove. His 39 SB rank 12th all-time and his 92 RBI were just the second time a Blue Jay had topped 90 in a season. His 6.9 fWAR is the 8th highest mark in club history.
And the greatest season of them all....
Josh Donaldson 2015 Donaldson's 2015 tops all Blue Jays hitters with 8.8 fWAR. He combined elite hitting with top shelf defence and even threw in his best base running season for good measure. His 41 home runs tie him for the 10th most ever by a Toronto hitter. The 122 runs he scored are the second most ever by a Blue Jay and his 123 RBI rank 7th. Put it all together and throw in the team's second ever MVP award and Donaldson's 2015 is clearly the greatest season ever by a Blue Jays hitter.
Honorable mentions: Vernon Wells 2003, Tony Fernandez 1986, 1993 Paul Molitor, Josh Donaldson 2016, Fred McGriff 1988, Otto Velez 1979, Jose Bautista 2011, Pat Borders 1990, 1999 Shawn Green, Jesse Barfield 1985, Carlos Delgado 2003, Edwin Encarnacion 2012, Alex Rios 2007, Kelly Gruber 1990, Ernie Whitt 1983, Marco Scutaro 2009, Greg Myers 2003, Aaron Hill 2009, Damaso Garcia 1982, Tony Fernandez 1998
