Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 Toronto Blue Jays.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Please note that our algorithm has changed, which yielded minor changes throughout the baseball lists.

Last year, the Blue Jays had a disappointing campaign where they had a losing record.  There were no new entrants, but two elevations

As always, we present our top five, which saw one change based on the new calculations.

1. Dave Stieb

2. Roy Halladay

3. Jose Bautista

4. Tony Fernandez

5. Carlos Delgado

You can find the entire list here.

First Baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vaulted ten spots to #12. 

Notably, Bo Bichette’s poor year dropped him two spots to #27.

The new algorithm brings Brett Lawrie at #45.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Toronto Blue Jays, which means we have finally completed all of the MLB teams!

Our Top 50 lists in Baseball look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2022 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always, we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Dave Stieb

2.  Roy Halladay

3. Jose Bautista

4. Carlos Delgado

5. Tony Fernandez

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists. 

Look for our more material coming soon!

As always, we thank you for your support.

Dave Stieb barely beat out Roy Halladay for the top spot on this list, and it does fit to have Stieb at number one, as he was arguably the first real star of the franchise.

Stieb made his first appearance for the Jays in 1979 and was their ace a year later, going to his first of seven All-Star Games.  In the first half of the 80s, Toronto was dealing with the typical issues of an expansion team, and it likely cost Stieb a 20-win season, as it is conceivable that on a better team, his back-to-back 17 Win years (1982 & 1983) could have hit 20.  

While Stieb was generating press in Canada, many American fans were unaware of his skills.  A power pitcher, Stieb was also known for his volatility and intense competitiveness, which did not always make him a clubhouse favorite, but a man that his teammates wanted on their side.  Stieb never won a Cy Young, but in 1982, The Sporting News named him the American League Pitcher of the Year.

Stieb would later win the ERA Title in 1985 and anchor the team to their first postseason.  He remained one of the top hurlers in the AL for the rest of the decade, and when the 80s ended, only Jack Morris had more Wins.   

Stieb received a ring, and though that year's contributions were minimal, Toronto was built on his arm.  Back issues held Stieb to minimal starts in the early 90s, and Toronto had to create a contender without him, which they did, winning the World Series in 1992.  Stieb signed with the White Sox after the season, though he retired a year after.  He attempted a comeback in 1998 with Toronto but retired shortly after.

Stieb is, as of this writing, the all-time franchise leader in bWAR for Pitchers (56.9), Wins (175), and Strikeouts (1,656).  He is also a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, and is enshrined in the Jays Level of Excellence.