The Greatest Blue Jays Pitcher Seasons Ever
Previously I looked at the best position player seasons in Blue Jays history. Today I would like to focus on some of the best pitcher performances this team has seen.
Juan Guzman 1992
Guzman's 2.64 ERA is the third best in team history. He had a 16-5 record and his .762 winning percentage has only been topped 6 times, two of those times being himself. His 5.5 fWAR is the 11th highest total in club history despite pitching significantly fewer innings than the pitchers ahead of him. On a per inning basis only the 2 Roger Clemens seasons top Guzman's 1992 in terms of fWAR for starting pitchers. Guzman's 0.30 HR/9 is the lowest rate ever by a Blue Jays starting pitcher who qualified for the ERA title. Guzman struck out 8.22 batters per 9 innings, a team record at the time. Guzman also pitched very well in the postseason and helped lead the team to their first ever World Series victory.
Roy Halladay 2003
Halladay won his first Cy Young award in 2003 after leading the league with 22 wins. That win total is the most ever by a Toronto pitcher. His 7.0 fWAR is the highest ever by somebody not named Clemens. Halladay pitched 266 innings, the 5th most in club history. He earned the nickname 'Doc' and for good reason. His surgical precision led him to issue only 1.08 BB/9, the lowest rate ever by a Blue Jay. The 6.38 K/BB ratio he posted has yet to be topped.
Mark Eichorn 1986
Eichorn didn't throw enough innings to qualify for the ERA title, falling 5 innings short. His ERA of 1.72 is the lowest in team history by a pitcher with more than 75 innings, as are is his .955 WHIP and 6.0 H/9. Despite being a long reliever, Eichorn finished 6th in Cy Young voting and 3rd in rookie of the year voting. His 14 wins and 4.9 fWAR are the most ever by a Blue Jays relief pitcher. His 157 innings pitched are 30 more than any other Toronto reliever and his 166 strikeouts top the next best mark by 34.
Roger Clemens 1998
He wasn't with the Jays for a long time, but it was a good time. His second year in a Toronto uniform ranks second in fWAR at 8.2. He won the triple crown and Cy Young award. His 2.65 ERA ranks 4th on the Blue Jays all-time list. He is still the only Blue Jay to have back-to-back 20 win seasons. His 271 strikeouts are the second most by a Blue Jays pitcher, well ahead of the 231 put up by AJ Burnett in 2008.
Dave Stieb 1984
Stieb had a number of seasons that could make this list, but his 1984 performance may have been his best. His 5.6 fWAR is the 10th best in club history. He led the league with 267 innings and his 146 ERA+ was the first time he topped the league in that stat.
Roy Halladay 2008
Halladay's second 20 win season saw him finish second in Cy Young voting. He led the league with 246 innings and 9 complete games. His 2.78 ERA was his best as a Blue Jay and ranks 6th among team starters. The 1.05 WHIP is the 4th lowest by a starter in the team's 41 year history.
Duane Ward 1993
Ward still holds the club record with 45 saves. He posted a 12.18 k/9 that was the second highest in team history at that point and is currently the 4th best mark by a Blue Jays reliever. The 2.13 ERA he produced has only been topped 8 times.
Pat Hentgen 1996
Hentgen won the team's first ever Cy Young when he went 20-10 with a 3.22 ERA. His 6.0 fWAR is the 8th best total by a Blue Jays pitcher. Hentgen led the league with 10 complete games, 3 shutouts, 0.7 HR/9 and 265.2 innings.
B.J. Ryan 2006
At least the Blue Jays got one great year out of that contract. Ryan's 1.32 ERA in 2006 is the lowest ever by a Blue Jays reliever. His 38 saves are the 3rd most in team history. His 0.86 WHIP is currently tied for the best by a pitcher that threw at least 50 innings.
Tom Henke 1987
Henke led the league with 34 saves and finished 13th in MVP voting. His 3.3 fWAR is the 5th best mark by a Blue Jays reliever. Henke's 12.26 k/9 remained a club record until 2013 when the strikeout era allowed Steve Delabar to pass him.
Dave Stieb 1982
Stieb had been around for a few seasons but he really broke out in 1982. He led the league with 288.1 innings, 19 complete games and 5 shutouts. All remain club records. He finished 4th in Cy Young voting, the highest finish of his career.
Jimmy Key 1987
Key led the league with a 2.76 ERA and finished second in Cy Young voting. His 2.76 ERAis the 5th lowest by a starting pitcher and his 17 wins rank tied for 13th and his 261 innings are the 11th most by a Blue Jays pitcher. His 5.6 fWAR is the team's 9th best mark.
Roberto Osuna 2017
Osuna's 29.7 k-bb% and 1.74 FIP are the best ever by a Blue Jays pitcher. Osuna gave up fewer walks per 9 innings than any Jays reliever when he handed out just 1.27 free passes per 9. Opposing hitters hit just .194 against him, the 12th lowest mark in team history. Osuna is tied with BJ Ryan and Casey Janssen with a 0.86 WHIP. His 39 saves were the second most ever by a Blue Jays hurler and his 3.0 fWAR ranks 6th.
And the best season of them all...
Roger Clemens 1997
Clemens' 10.7 fWAR in 1997 is by far the highest total in Blue Jays history. The next highest is the 8.2 he produced in 1998. His 21 wins tied the club record at the time and his 292 strikeouts and 2.05 ERA have yet to be beat. In 264 innings pitched he allowed a measly 9 home runs. His 0.31 HR/9 was the second lowest rate of his illustrious career. He won his first pitching triple crown that year and was awarded his 4th career Cy Young. His reputation has been tarnished by steroid allegations, but his 1997 season was easily the most dominant single season pitching performance by a Toronto Blue Jays pitcher.
Honorable Mentions: David Wells 2000, Roy Halladay 2009, Aaron Sanchez 2016, Casey Janssen 2012, Dave Stieb 1983, Doyle Alexander 1984, Tom Henke 1989, Jack Morris 1992, Davie Stieb 1985, Paul Quantrill 1997, Roy Halladay 2002, J.A. Happ 2016, Dave Stieb 1990, Dennis Lamp 1985, Ricky Romero 2011, Victor Cruz 1978, Juan Guzman 1996, Scott Downs 2008, Marco Estrada 2015
