Toronto Blue Jays
Established: 1977
Other Names:
None
2016 results: 89-73,
2nd in AL East
Defeated Baltimore in AL Wild Card
Defeated Texas (3-0) in ALDS
Lost to Cleveland (4-1) in ALCS
2017 Prediction: 3rd
World Series Titles: 2
Most Recent: 1993
Last World Series
Appearance: 1993
Last Division Title: 2015
Ballpark: Rogers
Centre
Est: 1989
Best Season: 1992
After several years of being
competitive but not good enough to win it all, the Jays reached the top of the
mountain for the first time in 1992. The team finished with a 96-66 record, the
second best in team history (the 1985 team won 99 games) and finished two games
ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the AL East. After dropping the first game of
the ALCS against Oakland, Toronto won three straight games to take a 3-1 series
lead, and eventually won the series in six games. In the World Series against
the Atlanta Braves, the Jays again won in six games, with the deciding game
being decided in the 11th inning. Toronto was led by offensive stars
Roberto Alomar, Devon White, Joe Carter, John Olerud and Dave Winfield. The
starting pitchers included Jack Morris, Juan Guzman, David Cone and Jimmy Key,
with relievers Tom Henke and Duane Ward anchoring the bullpen.
Best All-time Player:
George Bell
Bell patrolled left-field for
nearly a decade with the Blue Jays, and shared a love-hate relationship with
the Jays’ fans and Toronto media. His explosive temper was matched by his
desire to win and he could turn the boos into cheers easily with a home run or
a great defensive play. In nine years, Bell hit 202 home runs, had 740 RBIs and
scored 641 runs. He had decent speed that eroded over time, playing on the
hard, unforgiving artificial turf of Exhibition Stadium. He was a three-time
All-Star, won three Silver Slugger Awards and became Toronto’s first American
League MVP when he won the award in 1987. His 47 home runs that year set the
franchise’s all-time single season record that stood for 23 years until Jose
Bautista hit 54 in 2010.
Best Player on the
Current Roster: Josh Donaldson
Since arriving in a trade for
Brett Lawrie prior to the 2015 season, Donaldson has been the best all-round
player on the club. Despite being hobbled by a hip injury in the later stages
of last season, Donaldson kept playing with the same determination and grit
that won him the AL MVP award in 2015. During that MVP season, JD led the
American League in RBIs (123) and runs scored (122) while batting .297 and
swatting 42 dingers en route to leading the Jays to their first post-season
appearance in 23 years. In 2016, despite being hampered by the bad hip, he
still hit 37 home runs, drove in 99 and again scored 122 runs. The three-time
All-Star showed his MVP colours in the third game of the ALDS against Texas
when he scored the series-clinching run on a scamper from second base on a
botched double-play ground ball, topping it off with a head-first slide across
home plate.
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