Ranking the 13 greatest Blue Jays players ever, from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Roy Halladay

The Montreal Expos moved to Washington D.C. In 2005, but baseball is alive and well north of the border.

The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the American League's most passionate fan bases, and despite being MLB's only Canadian team for the last two-plus decades, they have seen plenty of talent come and play under the CN Tower, from Hall of Fame pitchers to beloved power hitters. 

Some of the greatest Blue Jays were part of the team's back-to-back World Series wins in 1992 and 1993, while others helped guide fans through more turbulent times in franchise history.

AllSportsPeople ranks the 13 greatest players in Blue Jays history, from Roy Halladay to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 

MORE: Revisiting Blue Jays' last World Series win

13. Fred McGriff (1986-1990)

Blue Jays accolades: 5 seasons; Hall of Famer; 1989 AL home run leader; 2 top-10 AL MVP finishes; 1989 Silver Slugger; 125 home runs

Why he made SN's list: Fred McGriff spent time with a handful of different teams during a career that would ultimately land him in the Hall of Fame, but it was in Toronto that he would establish himself as one of the game's better power bats. McGriff rattled off three consecutive seasons of at least 34 home runs to finish his stint with the Blue Jays, leading the AL in home runs and OPS in 1989 on his way to a top-six MVP finish.

Place in Blue Jays history: McGriff's time with the Blue Jays ended shortly before the franchise's success of the early 1990s, but he was a clear bright spot on some good-but-not-great teams of the late 1980s and 1990 as one of the league's most complete all-around hitters. 

MORE: Explaining the Blue Jays' home run jacket

12. George Bell (1981-1990)

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Blue Jays accolades: 9 seasons; 1987 AL MVP; 2-time All-Star; 3-time Silver Slugger; 202 home runs; 1,294 hits 

Why he made SN's list: The Blue Jays' first of two MVPs, George Bell didn't emerge as an everyday player until 1984 but quickly became an indispensable bat in Toronto's lineup. He hit.308 with 47 home runs during his 1987 MVP season and earned a second All-Star selection in 1990, finishing his Blue Jays career with more than 200 home runs.

Place in Blue Jays history: Bell was out of Toronto before the franchise achieved its success of the early 1990s, but he was a focal point on some strong Blue Jays teams of the 1980s and was the franchise's lone MVP until Josh Donaldson in 2015.

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11. Edwin Encarnacion (2009-2016)

Blue Jays accolades: 8 seasons; 3-time All-Star; 3rd-leading HR hitter in team history; 977 hits 

Why he made SN's list: The Cincinnati Reds gave up on Edwin Encarnacion in 2009, sending the young hitter to Toronto, and it wasn't until 2012 that he emerged as one of baseball's better power hitters. Encarnacion hit at least 34 home runs in each of his last five seasons with the Blue Jays, leading the AL in RBI in 2016 and posting a pair of 42-HR seasons. He carried a.912 OPS from 2012-16, a period that saw Toronto reach the ALCS twice and Encarnacion win the 2016 AL Wild Card Game with a walk-off home run.

Place in Blue Jays history: Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson were the fixtures of the Blue Jays' lineup when Toronto reached the ALCS in back-to-back seasons, helping drag the organization out of a decade of malaise. Encarnacion's walk-off home run in the 2016 AL Wild Card Game remains one of the signature moments in Blue Jays history, behind three other memorable postseason blasts.

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10. Josh Donaldson (2015-2018)

Blue Jays accolades: 4 seasons; 2015 AL MVP; 2-time All-Star; 2-time Silver Slugger; 116 home runs

Why he made SN's list: One of two MVPs in Blue Jays history, Josh Donaldson's time in Toronto was short but highly impactful. He was nearly as productive in year two as he was in his MVP first season, posting an OPS north of.900 in each of his three full seasons in Toronto and helping lead the Blue Jays to the ALCS in both 2015 and 2016.

Place in Blue Jays history: Other Blue Jays sluggers have stuck around longer in Toronto, but Donaldson brought excellence in his nearly four seasons in Toronto and helped usher in the franchise's most successful two-year period in two decades with back-to-back ALCS appearances.

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9. Joe Carter (1991-1997)

Blue Jays accolades: 7 seasons; 2-time World Series champion; 5-time All-Star; 2 top-5 AL MVP finishes; 2-time Silver Slugger; 203 home runs

Why he made SN's list: An iconic World Series walk-off home run aside, Joe Carter was a staple of two title-winning Blue Jays lineups and hit at least 25 home runs in each of his first six seasons in Toronto, including four 30-HR seasons. He ranks fifth in franchise history in home runs and RBI.

Place in Blue Jays history: Carter is a Blue Jays legend if only because he hit the walk-off home run that won the 1993 World Series. For all of his accomplishments over seven seasons in Toronto, Carter has a place in Toronto lore from that moment alone.

MORE: History of back-to-back World Series winners

8. Roger Clemens (1997-1998)

Blue Jays accolades: 2 seasons; 2-time AL Cy Young Award winner; 2-time All-Star; franchise single-season strikeout and ERA leader

Why he made SN's list: Roger Clemens only spent two seasons in Toronto between Boston and New York, but he made those two seasons unforgettable, winning back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards and leading the AL in strikeouts each year. Clemens notched 563 strikeouts in only two seasons, posting a 2.05 ERA in 1997 that still stands as a franchise record for a qualified starter.

Place in Blue Jays history: Clemens never pitched in the postseason with the Blue Jays, which prevents his two dominant seasons from having an even more permanent place in franchise history, but there has never been a more dominant season by a Toronto pitcher than the Rocket's 1997 campaign.

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7. Carlos Delgado (1993-2004)

Blue Jays accolades: 12 seasons; 2-time All-Star; 3-time Silver Slugger; 2003 MVP runner-up; franchise leader in home runs and RBI

Why he made SN's list: Carlos Delgado didn't break through until 1996, his fourth season with the Blue Jays, but he succeeded Joe Carter as the power-hitting centerpiece of Toronto's lineup as the century turned. Delgado hit at least 30 home runs in each of his last eight seasons with the Blue Jays, posting an OPS north of 1.000 twice and becoming the franchise's leader in home runs with 336.

Place in Blue Jays history: Delgado never appeared in a postseason game as a Blue Jay, so he's missing something so many other franchise greats have, but he was a power-hitting force at the plate for nearly a decade and remains Toronto's home run king.

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6. Roberto Alomar (1991-1995)

Blue Jays accolades: 5 seasons; 2-time World Series champion' Hall of Famer; 5-time All-Star; 5-time Gold Glove winner; 3 top-10 AL MVP finishes; 1992 Silver Slugger

Why he made SN's list:  Like Fred McGriff, Roberto Alomar didn't spend most of his Hall of Fame career with the Blue Jays, but he is arguably best remembered as a Blue Jay while McGriff is better known by some as a Brave. Alomar was a defensive standout over five seasons in Toronto, helping the Blue Jays win the World Series twice and batting.300 or better in four of five years. Alomar discovered his power stroke a bit more after he left Toronto, but he was an instrumental piece during the team's golden era.

Place in Blue Jays history: Alomar's numbers don't jump off the page, but as an excellent defender and one of baseball's better contact hitters during his time with the Blue Jays, he was an indispensable piece of two championship teams. Alomar's number was one of two retired by the Blue Jays, other than Jackie Robinson's, until sexual misconduct allegations surfaced in 2021.

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5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2019-present)

Blue Jays accolades: 7 seasons; 5-time All-Star; 2021 MVP runner-up 2-time Silver Slugger; 2022 Gold Glove winner; World Series appearance

Why he made SN's list: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. May still seem like he's in the early stages of his career, but seven seasons in a Blue Jays uniform puts him in a similar range as some other franchise greats in terms of length of tenure. The former No. 1 prospect broke through in a major way in 2021, finishing as the AL MVP runner-up with 48 home runs and a 1.002 OPS, and he has remained one of the AL's most intimidating hitters despite streaky power. Guerrero helped lead the Blue Jays to the World Series with a monstrous postseason in 2025.

Place in Blue Jays history: A fan favorite before he even debuted because of his ties to Canada through his Hall of Fame father, Guerrero has largely lived up to expectations, taken the Blue Jays back to the World Series and made a commitment to the franchise with a 14-year, $500 million extension.

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4. Tony Fernandez (1983-90, 1993, 1998-99, 2001)

Blue Jays accolades: 12 seasons; 1993 World Series champion; 4-time All-Star; 4-time Gold Glove winner; franchise hits leader

Why he made SN's list: Tony Fernandez enjoyed four different stints with the Blue Jays during his long MLB career, emerging as one of the team's leaders during the late 1980s as a high-contact hitter with excellent defensive skills and returning during the 1993 season to help Toronto win a championship. Fernandez would earn one more All-Star selection with the Blue Jays in 1999 and is the franchise's all-time hits leader.

Place in Blue Jays history: The late Fernandez remains the Blue Jays' all-time hits leader and was part of Toronto's second championship team in 1993. 

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3. Dave Stieb (1979-1992, 1998)

Blue Jays accolades: 15 seasons; 9-time All-Star; 4 top-10 AL Cy Young finishes; 1985 AL ERA leader; franchise leader in wins and strikeouts

Why he made SN's list: Dave Stieb never finished top-three in Cy Young voting but still entrenched himself as one of the AL's most reliable starters during his 14-year first stint with the Blue Jays, posting an ERA of 3.25 or lower each season from 1981-85 and recovering from a pair of down seasons to return to All-Star form from 1988-90. Stieb is the Blue Jays' franchise leader in strikeouts and wins.

Place in Blue Jays history: Stieb has a case to be the all-time greatest Blue Jay, even if he didn't have a Cy Young season or see much postseason action. The franchise's leader in strikeouts and wins, he was a bonafide ace over the first seven seasons of his career. 

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2. Jose Bautista (2008-2017)

Blue Jays accolades: 10 seasons; 5-time All-Star; 4 top-10 AL MVP finishes; 2-time AL home run leader; 288 home runs

Why he made SN's list: Jose Bautista was the unlikeliest of franchise greats in Toronto, morphing from a fledgling utility man with the Pittsburgh Pirates into one of baseball's most feared sluggers. His 54-home run 2010 season goes down as one of the most shocking breakthroughs in MLB history, but he was arguably even better in 2011 and went on to hit 288 home runs as a Blue Jay. Bautista's go-ahead home run and bat flip in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS remains one of the franchise's iconic moments.

Place in Blue Jays history: From his 2015 home run to his dominant stretch from 2010-11, Bautista became one of the most beloved Blue Jays in team history.

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1. Roy Halladay (1998-2009)

Blue Jays accolades: 12 seasons; Hall of Famer; 2003 AL Cy Young; 6-time All-Star; 5 top-5 AL Cy Young finishes; 1,495 strikeouts; 148 wins

Why he made SN's list: Roy Halladay returned to the minors during an abysmal 2000 season, made some changes and became a bonafide ace for the next nine years in Toronto. A nearly perennial Cy Young contender, Halladay won the award in 2003 and came close again in 2008, posting a 3.13 ERA from 2001-09 and sitting second in team history in strikeouts and wins behind only Stieb.

Place in Blue Jays history: The late, great Halladay might have had his two most dominant seasons in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform, but he was a feared ace and the face of the Blue Jays' rotation for close to a decade before the 2009 trade. Halladay was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, and his No. 32 is the franchise's only retired number other than Jackie Robinson's.

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