Toronto Blue Jays: 5 franchise records that will never be broken
Toronto Blue Jays: RBIs in a single season – Carlos Delgado – 145
One of the most under-appreciated superstars in Toronto history, Carlos Delgado did some incredible things in a Blue Jays uniform.
Somehow only a two-time All-Star, Delgado’s name is tattooed all over the team’s history books. There are many candidates for which of his marks has the most staying power, but his single-season record for RBIs set in 2003 is the most permanent.
The logic for this one is pretty clear. If Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion couldn’t beat it, then it’s just not happening.
No player league-wide has posted 145 RBIs or more since Alex Rodriguez knocked in 156 runs in 2007.
While the base-paths are expected to be full this season, the Jays need not rely on one bopper to drive home runs. While Delgado (and Vernon Wells) were the only major producers on a Jays team that finished third in the AL East, the current iteration of the team expects production from every slot in the lineup. Delgado’s record looks safe for the foreseeable future.
Stolen bases in a single season – Dave Collins – 60
Another name nowhere near as synonymous with Blue Jays baseball as Fernandez or Delgado, Dave Collins played two seasons with the Jays in 1983 and 1984.
One of the more underrated base stealers of all time, Collins swiped 60 bags with the Jays in ’84 to earn the team record. Given how the stolen base has been deemphasized in the modern game, this one likely won’t be going anywhere.
Collins’ stolen base numbers are almost as erratic as Jose Bautista’s home runs. Just as Bautista hit only 13 home runs in 2009 before exploding for 54 in 2010, Collins stole only 31 bases in 1983 before swiping his club record 60 the following year.
What’s even more puzzling is the situation surrounding Collins’ career high in steals. The year before he swiped 79 bags for the Cincinnati Reds in 1980, he only recorded 16 stolen bases over a similar number of games.
And the oddities with Collins don’t end there. The 79 bases he stole weren’t even enough for the Reds’ team record, as that is held by one Hugh Nicol, who stole 138 bases in 1887.
But back to modernity. If spring training is any indication, the Jays will be running more this season. With added speed in their lineup, 100 steals isn’t out of the question. One single player recording 60 or more, however, most certainly is.