October 25, 1998, was a historic day for the Toronto Blue Jays. For the first time in team history, reliever Dave Stieb grabbed the ball from starting pitcher Roy Halladay.
It’s no surprise that this moment has been preserved in time for these two Blue Jays legends.
But where do they rank among the top Blue Jays pitchers ever?
That is what this article talks about.
5. Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens had little time with the Blue Jays organization, but his stats speak for themselves.
WAR is widely considered a legitimate measure of statistical supremacy in Major League Baseball. His 11.9 WAR in 1997 ranked him top all-time in WAR.
4. Jim Clancy
Jim Clancy played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves. But it was his time in Toronto that made him stand out.
Clancy had 128 victories in 11 seasons with the Blue Jays, third-most all-time.
3. Duane Ward
Duane Ward was one of the Jays’ most reliable pitchers throughout his nine-year MLB career. Ward’s constancy gave him an edge against the streaky “stars,” but it also got him on this list.
If you have a virtually franchise-best 3.18 ERA over the course of a distinguished career, the metric is highly valuable.
2. Roy Halladay
The best two pitchers in Blue Jays history are almost never questioned. Since the deal that brought Roy Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies, the No. 2 spot has been determined, and it has been suggested that if Halladay had stayed with the Blue Jays, he may have surpassed the eventual No. 1.
The numbers on Halladay speak for themselves. Halladay has an incredible number of victories and ranks first or second in most key pitching statistics throughout his 11-year tenure with the Blue Jays.
1. Dave Stieb
Since the transaction that transferred Roy Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies, the No. 2 spot has been filled Any Jays fan will tell you the same thing: Dave Stieb is the greatest Blue Jay pitcher ever.
Stieb led the Blue Jays in several significant categories from 1979 through 1992, with a brief return in 1998.
His career WAR is 57.0, which ranks him 68th all-time. Halladay is 11 points behind him. It shows Stieb’s importance to his squad.
His 175 victories lead the franchise by 27.
A Blue Jays uniformed Halladay may have overtaken the eventual No. 1.
The numbers speak for themselves. Halladay has an amazing number of victories and ranks first or second in most key pitching statistics in his 11-year Blue Jay career.
