Toronto Blue Jays All-Time Starting Lineup/Roster

The Toronto Blue Jays have been around for 43 years, though they’ve yet to develop many Hall of Fame caliber players. The lineup is filled with a bunch of power bats though not necessarily stand out as huge offensive threats. With the exception of their leadoff hitters, you can expect nearly every bat to produce at least 20 home runs and hitting for a .280 batting average. On the mound, they’re led by Roy Halladay who’s legacy and career will be remembered by both the Blue Jays and Phillies fans, alike.

Starting Lineup

1. Tony Fernandez, SS (S)
2. Roberto Alomar, 2B (S)
3. Jose Bautista, DH (R)
4. Carlos Delgado, 1B (L)
5. George Bell, LF (R)
6. Vernon Wells, CF (R)
7. Josh Donaldson, 3B (R)
8. Jesse Barfield, RF (R)
9. Ernie Whitt, C (L)
Roy Halladay, P (R)
Manager: Cito Gaston

Catcher

Ernie Whitt
1977-89: 424 Runs, 131 HR, 518 RBI, 22 SB, .253 BA/.327 OBP/.420 SLG

The Blue Jays haven’t had many great catchers during their 43 seasons so the pick will go to one time All Star, Ernie Whitt. He’s a defensive backstop who played solid defense for many years with Toronto. Offensively, he didn’t do much though he was somewhat productive. He hit double digit home runs almost each year and hit for a modest .253 average over a dozen years. Whitt will slot in as our last hitter in the lineup and we’ll utilize him as a defensive catcher with some pop.

Honorable Mentions: Greg Zaun

First Baseman

Carlos Delgado
1993-04: 889 Runs, 336 HR, 1,058 RBI, 9 SB, .282 BA/.392 OBP/.556 SLG

Carlos Delgado began his career with the Blue Jays and slowly rose to fame. In his first three years, he recorded only 222 at bats while recording only 43 hits. Later on, he would develop power to his game and become a bat in the middle of the lineup who steadily hit for around 40 home runs with 100 runs and RBI. He will make for a great cleanup bat for the Blue Jays and will undoubtedly become one of their most feared power bats.

Honorable Mentions: Edwin Encarnancion, John Olerud, Fred McGriff

Second Baseman

Roberto Alomar
1991-95: 451 Runs, 55 HR, 342 RBI, 206 SB, .307 BA/.382 OBP/.451 SLG

The only Hall of Fame hitter in the Blue Jays lineup, Roberto Alomar played huge dividends for the Toronto franchise after a trade with the Padres. While they did give up fellow All Time Lineups starter in Tony Fernandez, Alomar’s skillset was undeniable. In his five years with the club, he was selected to five straight All Star games, won five Gold Gloves, and three Silver Sluggers. He would also prove to be a crucial piece in Toronto’s only World Series victories in 1992 and 1993.

Honorable Mentions: Aaron Hill, Orlando Hudson

Shortstop

Tony Fernandez
1983-90, 93, 98-99, 01: 704 Runs, 60 HR, 613 RBI, 172 SB, .297 BA/.353 OBP/.412 SLG

Most people may be surprised to learn that Tony Fernandez is actually Toronto’s career leader in WAR at 37.5. Looking at his offensive numbers, Fernandez didn’t do much with the bat and lacked a huge presence in the Blue Jays lineup. However, he did hit for a good average and was a steals threat which makes him an ideal candidate for the leadoff spot. Fernandez’s best trait was his defense where he won four straight Gold Gloves and rated as the best defender in franchise history.

Honorable Mentions: Marco Scutaro, Alex Gonzalez

Third Baseman

Josh Donaldson
2015-18: 331 Runs, 116 HR, 316 RBI, 17 SB, .281 BA/.383 OBP/.548 SLG

Staring at third base is the only player still currently playing in the bigs, Josh Donaldson. The Blue Jays essentially stole Donaldson from the Athletics as he went from an All Star caliber player to a superstar. He starred in the heart of the order and provided Toronto with a contact hitting power threat that did a bit of everything. He was an All Star the first two seasons with the club and won MVP honors in 2015. With them out of contention and Donaldson heading towards free agency, he would be traded during the 2018 season.

Honorable Mentions: Kelly Gruber, Rance Mulliniks, Brett Lawrie

Left Fielder

George Bell
1981-90: 641 Runs, 202 HR, 740 RBI, 59 SB, .286 BA/.325 OBP/.486 SLG

George Bell will bring another power threat to a lineup that already features a bunch of other power righties. He was a star for the Blue Jays during the mid to late 80s and was able to capture three straight Silver Sluggers beginning in 1985. However, his most impressive accomplishment was winning MVP in 1987. There wasn’t much love when it came to the Hall of Fame voting for Bell but he will forever remain a Toronto great.

Honorable Mentions: Shannon Stewart, Willie Upshaw, Jose Cruz

Center Fielder

Vernon Wells
1999-10: 789 Runs, 223 HR, 813 RBI, 90 SB, .280 BA/.329 OBP/.475 SLG

For a brief stint during his career, Vernon Wells was heralded as a future star for the Blue Jays. He hit for great power, played solid defense, and became one of the faces of the franchise. Wells was consistently hitting double digit home runs each year and the contact abilities made him a player the Blue Jays desperately needed in the lineup. However, he signed a big contract extension prior to the 2008 season that ended up being disastrous. He remained decent though fell quickly from his All Star level of play. He would be traded to the Angels in 2011 and later released in 2014.

Honorable Mentions: Lloyd Moseby, Devon White, Kevin Pillar

Right Fielder

Jesse Barfield
1981-89: 530 Runs, 179 HR, 527 RBI, 55 SB, .265 BA/.334 OBP/.483 SLG

While only an All Star once, Jesse Barfield was a very consistent player for Toronto during his tenure and key contributor for most of their 1980s teams. During his peak years from 1984 to 1987, Barfield hit for a good average and was averaging 27 homers per year. He’s a good bat that could fit anywhere in the lineup that can score and knock in RBIs. Defensively, he’s the pick over Jose Bautista in right field as he won Gold Gloves in 1986 and 1987.

Honorable Mentions: Alex Rios, Shawn Green, Joe Carter

Designated Hitter

Jose Bautista
2008-17: 790 Runs, 288 HR, 766 RBI, 56 SB, .253 BA/.372 OBP/.506 SLG

Jose Bautista provided one of the most iconic in team history during the 2015 American Championship League Series against the Rangers with his iconic bat flip. The slugger came over from the Pirates after having a fairly average career and being nothing more than a utility bat. However, the move to Toronto made him a superstar for the club and became one of the most notorious power bats in the league. There’s a bunch of home runs in store for Joey Bats when he hits in the middle of the lineup and he’s without a doubt, a lethal bat.

Pitcher

Roy Halladay
1985-94: 94-64 Record, 3.61 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 2.9 BB/9

While Dave Stieb is the franchise leader in WAR, Roy Halladay has to be the pick here. After a slow start to his career, Roy Halladay became dominant in 2002 and carried that success for the next decade. He was a workhorse for the rotation and will continue to be for our All Time Lineup. Halladay was masterful in his craft and there’s no question his pitching ability will be plenty for the team. He won his first Cy Young in 2003 and was named to six All Star teams with the Blue Jays. Halladay continued his dominance with the Phillies where he won another Cy Young in 2010 and a pair of All Star bids.

Honorable Mentions: Dave Stieb, Jimmy Key, Pat Hentgen

Manager

Cito Gaston

While John Gibbons led the way for the Blue Jays’ most recent run of success, he isn’t the pick here. Instead, we’ll go with Cito Gaston who actually had a below .500 winning percentage but led Toronto to a pair of very impressive playoff appearances. During his time at the helm from 1992 to 1997, Gaston won 448 games and helped the Blue Jays to a pair of first place finishes in his first two years. Toronto would go 16-8 in the playoffs those two seasons and win the franchise’s only two titles. However, things would go downhill from there as the team would never finish better than third place after those two rings.