gold star for USAHOF

6. Jimmy Key

Jimmy Key began his career with Toronto in 1984, where he was used as a Relief Pitcher, recording ten Saves, but the Jays management viewed him as a starter, which is the capacity he served for the rest of his 14 Seasons in Baseball.

The Southpaw was an All-Star in his first year as a Starting Pitcher, winning 14 Games against 6 Losses and helping the Blue Jays make their first postseason.  Key would methodically work his way to the top of the Toronto rotation, winning the ERA Title (2.76) and WHIP Title (1.057) in 1987 while finishing second in Cy Young voting and winning The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year.

Toronto continued to improve, adding starters around Key, and building up a true contender.  Key was an All-Star again in 1991, and in 1992, he was part of a rotation that led the Jays to their first World Series Title.  He left Toronto for the Yankees, where he had two more All-Star, and top-five Cy Young finishes.

With the Blue Jays, Key went 116-81 with 944 Strikeouts and an ERA of 3.42.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Pitcher
  • Acquired: Selected in the 3rd Round of the Amateur Draft 6/7/82.
  • Departed: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Yankees 12/10/92.
  • Games Played: 439
  • Notable Statistics:

    116 Wins
    81 Losses
    3.42 ERA
    250 Games Started
    28 Complete Games
    10 Shutouts
    24 Games Finished
    10 Saves
    1,695.2 Innings Pitched
    944 Strikeouts
    3.70 FIP
    1.196 WHIP
    2.34 SO/BB
    29.9 bWAR                     

    7 Playoff Games
    3 Wins
    1 Loss
    3.03 ERA
    5 Games Started
    32.2 Innings Pitched
    15 Strikeouts
    1.29 WHIP
    2.14 SO/BB

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    World Series Champion (1992)
    The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year (1987)
    All-Star (1985 & 1991)
    Lowest ERA (1987)
    Lowest WHIP (1987)
    Lowest H/9 (1987)
    Lowest BB/9 (1989)
    Highest ERA+ (1987)
    Highest Fielding Percentage by a Pitcher (1986)

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