Toronto Blue Jays Stats

Toronto Blue Jays History

The Toronto Blue Jays were founded in 1977 and are currently the only MLB team located outside of the United States. The Blue Jays were the second-ever MLB team from Canada when they were founded in 1977, with the first being their National League rivals, the Montreal Expos. They were also initially owned by the Canadian beer company Labatt Brewing Company.

The Blue Jays are also the only Canadian team in MLB to win the World Series when they won the title in 1992. The team would see its best years from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. The Blue Jays would win the bulk of their championship titles during that time. 

The Blue Jays have a fan base that travels to certain games that the team has in the United States. The two teams the Blue Jays face that sees their fans in the stands of their opposition’s home field are the Seattle Mariners and the Detroit Tigers. This is due to these two teams’ proximity to the Canadian border.

2022 Key Stats

The Blue Jays are coming into 2022 with some critical losses for the team early in the off-season. They will need to make some waves in free agency before the start of the 2022 season if they are to be contenders for the postseason. The Blue Jays were able to replace one of their starting pitchers that they lost to free agency when they signed Kevin Gausman.

The Blue Jays had some great 2021 stats for the offense they will be looking to stay on top of. The Blue Jays finished first in the AL in home runs, second in the AL in hits, and third in the AL in runs. 

Bo Bichette is back in 2022 after leading the Blue Jays in hits with 191 for 2021. He also ended the season with 102 RBI’s and a .298 batting average. 

Joining him will be the 2021 Blue Jays home run leader Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero had 48 home runs in 2021 along with 111 RBI’s and a .311 batting average.

Championships Won by the Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have won most of their championships in the ’80s and ’90s. These championships include two World Series titles, two AL Pennants, and six AL East Division titles. 

The Blue Jays won both of their World Series appearances in 1992 and 1993. They would win their AL East Division titles in 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 2015.

The Blue Jays also would face their geographic rival, the Montreal Expos, for the Pearsons Cup, a Canadian trophy given to the winner of the game for that year. The Pearson Cup game was an exhibition game against the two clubs, during the middle of the baseball season, from 1978 to 1986. 

The Pearson Cup would come back in 2003 when the MLB would schedule the two teams to face each other in interleague play for two three-game series. The overall winner of the six games would be awarded the Pearsons Cup. 

The Blue Jays have won the Pearsons Cup three times. The event would become defunct after 2004 when the Expos moved to Washington D.C. for the 2005 season.

Important Team Events

One of the most significant events for the Blue Jays in their early years was the Pearsons Cup. But with the move of their opponent, the Montreal Expos, to Washington D.C., the team would not have any major events until 2017.

In 2017, the Blue Jays would do an off-season event known as Winter Fest. Winter Fest is two days of baseball and winter festivities. Things to do during Winter Fest include a meet-and-greet with current, alumni, and rookie players, live entertainment, and ballpark tours, to name a few things.

Top Players

Looking back at past players for the Blue Jays, some of the most memorable players for the team include second baseman Roberto Alomar, left fielder George Bell, first baseman Carlos Delgado, and pitcher Roy Halladay. These players are honored in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and were the best players for the Blue Jays through the years.

For the 2022 season, the Blue Jays have young offensive weapons players, making these players the top players for the Blue Jays in 2022. These players are Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette, who will be looking to improve on their 2021 numbers. 

On defense, relief pitcher Jordan Romano is one of the top relievers for the Blue Jays, coming off a 2021 season that saw him go 7-1 with 23 saves and an ERA of 2.14 in 62 appearances.

Top Coaches 

Looking back in Blue Jays history, the best coach they had was manager Cito Gaston. Gaston would lead the Blue Jays to four AL East Division titles, two AL Pennants, and two World Series titles. 

Under his management, the Blue Jays had some of their best years. With three straight AL East titles and back-to-back World Series wins, there’s no other Blue Jays manager that can match what Gaston has done for the team.

For 2022, the Blue Jays are looking to Charlie Montoyo to manage the team again, hoping that he can improve on his 2021 year with the team. Backing up Montoyo will be bench coach Dave Hudgens. Hudgens has been with the Blue Jays since they hired Montoyo at the end of 2018.

Hitting coach Guillermo Martinez will also be returning for 2022. Under his watch in 2021, Martinez had two players for the Blue Jays that would hit over 40 home runs. This made the Blue Jays the top-ranked team in the AL for home runs in 2021.