Donaldson playing with elite company
Jays third baseman having a season that ranks among club’s all-time performances
While the Josh Donaldson vs. Mike Trout MVP debate is likely to persist until the end of this season, another discussion worth pondering is where Donaldson’s remarkable campaign ranks among the best in Blue Jays’ history. The dynamic third baseman has no doubt entered the conversation.
Here’s a look at where he currently stands among the greatest individual seasons by Jays position players, according to Wins Above Replacement (as calculated by Baseball Reference). Conspicuously absent from the list is the only player in Jays history to win an MVP, George Bell, who was voted the American League’s most valuable player in1987 when he hit .308 and clubbed 47 homers. Bell is evidently dinged for his defensive shortcomings and the limited value he added on the basepaths.
JOSE BAUTISTA, 2011
.302, 43 HR, 103 RBI, 8.1 WAR
He hit more home runs in his breakout 2010 campaign, but 2011 was Bautista’s better year. He led the majors in home runs, walks, slugging percentage and OPS, finishing third in MVP voting. By Wins Above Replacement, Bautista’s 2011 season is the best in Blue Jays’ history and among the top 20 by any player in the last decade. It was just the third time in the late bloomer’s career he had posted above replacement-level numbers.
JOHN OLERUD, 1993
.363, 24 HR, 107 RBI, 7.7 WAR
Like Bautista, Olerud finished third in American League MVP voting in 1993, receiving fewer votes than teammate Paul Molitor and the unanimous winner, Frank Thomas. But Olerud was arguably better than all three. He won the batting title, while also leading the majors with 54 doubles and a .473 on-base percentage. Never again during his tenure with the Blue Jays did Olerud have a season with even half as many WAR as he did in 1993.
JESSE BARFIELD, 1986
.289, 40 HR, 108 RBI, 7.6 WAR
The Blue Jays’ right-fielder put it all together as a 26-year-old in 1986. He was an all-star, a Gold Glover and a Silver Slugger. He led the majors with 40 home runs and trailed only Wade Boggs in position-player WAR. But he finished fifth in MVP voting. The closest Barfield came to matching his ’86 heroics was four years later as a member of the New York Yankees when he hit 25 home runs and posted an .815 OPS.
CARLOS DELGADO, 2000
.344, 41HR, 137 RBI, 7.3 WAR
Rising to stardom amid the height of Major League Baseball’s steroid-aided offensive boom, Delgado’s peak years with the Jays were overshadowed by juicing sluggers such as Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez. But in 2000 he was among the league’s best. His 137 RBI are the second most in a season in Jays history, behind the record-setting 145 mark he reached in 2003. But the 57 doubles he hit in 2000 and his .664 slugging percentage remain the franchise’s single-season high-water marks. Delgado finished fourth in MVP voting in 2000.
LLOYD MOSEBY, 1984
.280, 18 HR, 92 RBI, 7.2 WAR
Moseby’s only all-star appearance came in 1986, but ’84 was his best season. Among position players, he finished fourth that year in Wins Above Replacement, behind only Gary Carter, Ryne Sandberg and Cal Ripken Jr. It was Moseby’s combination of power and speed that made his season so special. He hit 18 homers while also stealing 39 bases and leading the American League with 15 triples. The speedy centre-fielder was also one of the league’s best defensive outfielders.
JOSH DONALDSON, 2015
.302, 34 HR, 100 RBI, 7.1 WAR
With six weeks remaining in the season, Donaldson has already put together the sixth best season for a position player in Blue Jays’ history, according to WAR. If he continues at his current pace of more than 1.4 WAR per month, by season’s end he will unseat Bautista’s 2011 campaign for the top spot. Donaldson leads the majors in extra-base hits, runs scored and RBI, while sitting second in home runs. He’s also one of the best defensive third baseman in baseball and has been the Jays’ most clutch hitter this season. Of his 34 homers, 23 have either tied the game or given the Jays the lead.