25. Duane Ward

Before becoming the reliable late-inning pitcher helping lead his team to a championship, Duane Ward started as a young, energetic right-hander eager to find his place. Drafted in the first round by Atlanta, he initially made just 10 appearances in 1986 before being traded to Toronto in a straightforward challenge trade for seasoned starter Doyle Alexander. After spending the next couple of seasons honing his skills in the minors, Ward finally made a steady return to the majors in 1988. There, he quickly proved himself as a dependable and resilient pitcher in the middle innings, eventually securing the crucial eighth-inning setup role for good.

Ahead of closer Tom Henke, Ward established a formidable late-inning presence for the Blue Jays. At 6-foot-4, with a powerful, explosive fastball and a sharp slider, he handled a heavy workload, often entering games with runners on base to prevent rallies. In 1991, he led the American League with a career-high 81 appearances. By the 1992 World Series, as Toronto approached its historic championship, the "Ward-to-Henke" combo effectively shortened games to seven innings. Ward shone during that first title run, securing two relief wins in the Series.

When Henke departed for Texas in free agency that winter, Ward stepped out of the setup role’s shadow and seamlessly assumed the closer role for the 1993 repeat campaign. He responded with an absolute masterpiece of a season. Pacing the junior circuit with a franchise-record 45 saves and finishing 70 games, Ward secured his first career All-Star selection and finished fifth in the AL Cy Young Award voting, permanently cementing his big-game pedigree by striking out the final batter in Game 6 to seal back-to-back world titles.

After averaging more than 100 innings per year over a grueling five-season stretch out of the bullpen, Ward's arm finally gave out. He missed the entire 1994 season due to severe biceps tendinitis, and despite a grueling rehabilitation program, he managed only four ineffective, painful appearances in 1995 before his body forced him into early retirement.

As a Blue Jay, Ward made 462 appearances (all but two in relief), compiling a 43–35 record with a 3.18 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and 121 saves. He logged 662.2 innings, striking out 671 batters. The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Ward in 2023.