Marcus Stroman was considered one of Toronto's top prospects since he was a First Round Pick in 2012, and it only took him two years to make the Jays starting rotation.  It was a promising rookie year for Stroman, who went 11-6 with a 3.65 ERA and 111 Strikeouts, though a torn ACL in 2015 Spring Training hampered his growth.

The Blue Jays were an improving club in 2015, and Stroman was able to come back late in the season, winning all four of his decisions and helping Toronto reach the ALCS.  Stroman was not as good in 2016 (9-10, 4.37 ERA) but rebounded with a 13-9/164 SO/3.09 ERA year, where he also won the Gold Glove.  

The up-and-down career of Stroman continued, with an awful 2018 (4-9, 5.54 ERA), but he was much better in his first 21 Games in 2019, despite a losing record of 6-11, though he had a 2.96 ERA.  The 2019 Jays were not contenders, and Stroman was dealt to the Mets, ending Stroman's career with a 47-45 Record, 635 Strikeouts, and a 3.76 ERA.

When Bo Bichette first arrived in Toronto in the summer of 2019, he brought along the impressive legacy of his father, former Colorado Rockies slugger Dante Bichette. However, he quickly crafted his own unique style — smooth and full of energy. Drafted by the Blue Jays in the second round of the 2016 amateur draft from Lakewood High School, this talented, flowing-haired shortstop needed just three seasons in the minors to prove that the team’s investment was well-placed. He made an immediate impact when he reached the majors, shining brightly in just 46 games that summer. Bichette impressed everyone with a .311 batting average, hitting 11 home runs, and even matching Ted Williams by hitting an extra-base in nine straight rookie games.

Following a brief, injury-interrupted 2020 campaign, Bichette exploded into absolute major league superstardom, engineering a phenomenal three-year run of offensive production that established him as the premier hit-maker in the American League.

His 2021 season marked his emergence as a key elite player. As the energetic heartbeat of a young Toronto team, Bichette appeared in 159 games, utilizing his rapid hands to lead the junior league with 191 hits and 121 runs. He combined this impressive volume with a powerful mix of speed and power, hitting 29 home runs, driving in 102 RBIs, and stealing 25 bases. This performance earned him his first All-Star selection and a 12th-place finish in the AL MVP race.

He proved it was no fluke by putting together a similar 2022 campaign. Despite experiencing some early-season cold stretches, Bichette caught absolute fire in September, finishing the summer as the American League's hit leader for the second consecutive season with 189 knocks. He cracked a career-high 43 doubles, swatted 24 home runs, and drove in 93 runs while lifting his OPS to .802, netting another top-11 finish in the MVP voting. By doing so, he became the first player in Blue Jays history to lead the league in hits across back-to-back summers.

By 2023, Bichette had established himself as the team's most well-rounded and disciplined hitter. Despite missing time due to two separate injuries that limited him to 135 games, he surpassed the .300 batting average mark for the first time in a full season, finishing third in the AL with a solid .306. Additionally, he became the fastest in franchise history to reach 500 career hits, accomplishing this in just 407 games—breaking Vernon Wells’ previous record—while also hitting 20 home runs and earning his second All-Star selection.

That steady escalation met a disastrous roadblock during a brutal, injury-riddled 2024 campaign. Battling nagging calf strains all summer, Bichette looked completely out of sync, watching his numbers plunge to a career-worst .225 average with a sub-.600 OPS.

Confronting a significant and high-stakes decision at a pivotal point in his final year under team control, Bichette responded with an outstanding and redemption-driven 2025 season. He addressed all concerns regarding his durability and methodology, anchoring the Toronto roster across 139 games. Mashing American League pitchers, he regained his elite form, achieving a remarkable, career-high batting average of .311, with 181 hits, 44 doubles, and 18 home runs, while driving in 94 runs. Although a minor injury in late September temporarily sidelined him, he returned in time for an extraordinary postseason, batting at an impressive .348 during the World Series—culminating in a legendary, go-ahead three-run home run off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7, securing his enduring legacy in Toronto.

The Jays would eventually lose that game and lose Bichette shortly after, as he departed for the New York Mets via free agency. He left behind 904 hits, 111 home runs, 437 RBIs, and 60 stolen bases while generating an outstanding .294/.336/.469 slash line (121 OPS+).

Willie Upshaw was taken from the Yankees organization via the Rule 5 Draft, with the Blue Jays hopeful that he would be the First Baseman of the future, and by 1982, four years after, he was their starter. 

Upshaw was one of Toronto’s building blocks, and he had three straight 150 Hit years, the first two where he belted over 20 Home Runs.  His best season was in 1983, where he had career-bests in HR (27), Hits (177), RBI (104), and the Slash Line (.306/.373/.515) and received votes for the MVP, finishing 11^th.  Upshaw could not reproduce that year but was a large part in getting them to their first playoff in 1985.  He played three more years in Toronto before Cleveland bought his contract.

Upshaw’s offensive numbers look like he should be higher, but First Baseman generally are better producers, which hampers his rank a little.

One of the few Canadians to play for a Canadian team, Paul Quantrill's hometown was London, Ontario, two hours away from Toronto.  The Pitcher played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin and then professionally for the Red Sox and Phillies before the latter traded him to Toronto after the 1995 Season.

Quantrill's first year with the Blue Jays was dismal, going 5-14 with a 5.43 ERA and going back and forth as a starter and reliever.  Going into 1997, Quantrill was assigned to the bullpen, and it was a good fit for him, as he kept his ERA low (1.94 in 1997 and 2.59 in 1998), and in 2001, he was an All-Star Middle Reliver, leading the AL in Games Pitched (80) with an 11-2 record.  

Quantrill was traded to Los Angeles after his 2001 All-Star year, leaving the Jays with 386 appearances.  He is also a part of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.