23. Tom Henke

With his large, thick-rimmed wire glasses and gentle demeanor, Tom Henke initially appeared more like a reserved corporate accountant than a formidable major league closer. However, as soon as he took the mound, that misleading impression disappeared. Towering at 6-foot-5, this imposing right-hander utilized a blazing mid-90s fastball and a deadly diving forkball, earning him the nickname "The Terminator”—becoming one of the most formidable and dominant ninth-inning pitchers of his era.

His journey to Toronto truly showcases the cleverness of front-office decision-making. Initially drafted by Texas, Henke had incredible speed but often struggled with control, which led the Rangers to leave him unprotected in the 1985 free-agent compensation draft. The Blue Jays saw great potential in him and quickly took a chance. After Henke made a significant mechanical breakthrough at Triple-A Syracuse and earned the International League MVP award, Toronto called him up to the big leagues in mid-summer. He instantly made a big impact, providing a reliable and intimidating presence in the bullpen during the team's 1985 pennant race—saving 13 games down the stretch and helping secure the franchise's first division title.

By 1986, Henke took on the closer role permanently, recording 27 saves and giving a young team the reliable late-inning presence it had long sought. His performance peaked in 1987 when he was selected as an All-Star for the first time and led the American League with 52 games finished and 34 saves.

As Toronto steadily solidified its status as an elite American League powerhouse into the early 1990s, Henke became an ironclad guarantee in the back of the bullpen, rattling off five consecutive seasons with at least 20 saves. That ninth-innings security guard took on an even more terrifying dimension when the hard-throwing Duane Ward emerged as the team's primary eighth-innings setup man. The lethal Ward-to-Henke combination effectively shrunk games to seven innings, culminating in the historic 1992 championship run, when Henke logged five saves in the postseason to help deliver Canada its first-ever World Series title.

That global triumph doubled as his final act as a Blue Jay. Following the 1992 victory, Henke entered the open market as a free agent and elected to return to his original organization by signing a lucrative contract with the Texas Rangers.

Henke made 446 appearances (all in relief) for Toronto and compiled a stellar 29–29 record with a microscopic 2.48 ERA and an exceptional 1.02 WHIP. He collected a franchise-record 217 saves while logging 563 innings of work and striking out 644 batters.  In 2011, he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.