MLB Top 5: Toronto Blue Jays Second Basemen and Shortstops

This is the third article in a series that looks at the five best players at each position for the Toronto Blue Jays. In this installment are second basemen and shortstops.

Speed, defense and timely hitting are the cornerstone traits of the best middle infielders from the Blue Jays franchise. The two spots are manned by stars from the team’s five playoff appearances in the 1980s and ’90s, and the starters were traded for one another as part of one of the biggest trades in terms of star power in the modern era.

The Best Second Basemen and Shortstops in Toronto Blue Jays History

Second Basemen

Honorable Mentions – Manuel Lee was a switch-hitter with a strong arm who started at both middle infield positions during his time in Toronto. He was signed by the Mets at age 16, traded to the Astros for future World Series MVP Ray Knight in 1984 and didn’t play a game in the Houston organization before he was selected by the Blue Jays in the Rule 5 Draft. Lee spent his first three seasons north of the border as a pinch runner and backup infielder before taking over at second base in 1988 and setting career highs with a .291 average and 111 hits. Despite having the best fielding percentage of any American League second baseman in 1990, he switched to shortstop the next season and spent two years as the starter. Lee finished second in fielding percentage in 1992 and was a starter on Toronto’s first championship team. He had five hits and drove in three runs in the ALCS victory over the Athletics. Lee signed with the Rangers, finishing his eight-year Blue Jays tenure (1985-92) with 231 runs, 547 hits and 199 RBIs in 753 games. He spent two seasons in Texas and played one game with St. Louis in 1995 before suffering an ankle injury. Lee was released by the Cardinals, retired after the season and has stayed away from baseball ever since.

Devon Travis was a member of a Florida team that reached the Little League World Series final in 2003 before losing to a team from Japan. He was drafted by the Tigers, was traded to the Blue Jays in 2014 and made his major league debut the following year. Travis’ promising career was derailed by injuries. First, he was found to have an extra bone in his left shoulder. Then, he suffered two bone bruises in his right knee. Finally, an MRI revealed a torn meniscus in his left knee before the 2019 season. In all, Travis had five surgeries, spent just four seasons on Toronto’s roster (2015-18) and finished his time with the Blue Jays batting .274 with 320 hits and 153 RBIs in 316 games. He also appeared in three postseason contests during the team’s run to the ALCS in 2016, going 1-for-12 with two runs scored. Following his playing career, Travis became a minor league coach for the Braves.

5. Orlando Hudson – The South Carolina native was drafted by the Blue Jays in 1997, appeared in the 2002 MLB All-Star Futures Game and made his major league debut later that season. Hudson quickly became one of the better hitters and fielders at his position. He consistently batted around .270 and topped 60 runs, 125 hits and 50 RBIs in all three full seasons with the Blue Jays. “O-Dog” led the A. L. second basemen in assists twice, and he also topped the league in fielding percentage and putouts en route to a gold glove in 2005. He was traded to Arizona, won two more gold gloves with the Diamondbacks and one with the Dodgers, and he earned an All-Star selection with each club. In four seasons with the Blue Jays (2002-05), Hudson batted .270 with 209 runs, 437 hits and 201 RBIs in 462 games. He spent time with the Twins, Padres and White Sox before retiring in 2013. Hudson served as a player development assistant with the Diamondbacks.

4. Marcus Semen – Players who spent only one season with a club rarely make these lists. However, Semien’s 2021 campaign with the Blue Jays produced the highest single season WAR (7.1) of anyone at either middle infield spot. The San Francisco native was drafted by the White Sox and made his mark during six seasons as a shortstop with the Athletics before signing with the Blue Jays. Semien earned his first All-Star selection, gold glove and silver slugger, and he finished third in the MVP voting in 2021. He batted .265 with 115 runs and 173 hits and set career highs with 351 total bases, 102 RBIs and 45 home runs, which established a single season record for second basemen. “Sauce” has continued his torrid hitting since signing a seven-year, $175 million deal with Texas after his one season in Toronto. He has two more All-Star selections and produced another third-place MVP finish during the Rangers’ 2023 championship season.

3. Aaron Hill – He was drafted by the Angels out of high school but made the right position to attend LSU, which led to him being selected by the Blue Jays in the first round in 2003. He was named MVP of the MLB All-Star Futures Game the following year and moved to second base full-time in 2006. After a pair of decent seasons, Hill missed most of the 2008 campaign after suffering a concussion. He produced his best season upon his return, being named Comeback Player of the Year, earned a silver slugger and garnering his only All-Star selection after batting .286 and setting career highs with 103 runs, 195 hits, 36 home runs and 108 RBIs. Although he hit 26 homers the following year, Hill’s production declined, and he was traded to the Diamondbacks. He finished up his seven-year run in Toronto (2005-11) with a .265 average, 436 runs, 881 hits, 188 doubles, 99 home runs, 409 RBIs and 1,375 total bases in 875 games. The two-time A. L. assist leader won a silver slugger in his first full season with Arizona and spent time with three other teams before finishing his 13-year career with the Giants in 2017.

2. Damaso Garcia – He played baseball before becoming a star soccer player in his native Dominican Republic. Garcia came back to baseball in the end, joining the Yankees and playing two seasons in New York before being traded to Toronto in late 1979. He became a solid hitter in an era when most players at second base weren’t known for their hitting. Garcia earned Rookie of the Year consideration in 1980, won a silver slugger two years later and earned two All-Star selections with the Blue Jays. He was known for his speed and was an excellent contact hitter, batting over .300 twice, smacking at least 150 hits five times and topping 70 runs and 25 stolen bases four times each. Garcia was also the starting during the 1985 ALCS, totaling four runs and seven hits, including four doubles, in a seven-game loss to the Royals.

From there, things went downhill for Garcia. He went into a slump the following year and burned his uniform in an effort to break out. His behavior and attitude angered his manager and teammates, and a rough season ended with a trade to the Braves. Garcia missed the entire 1987 season with a knee injury, slumped with Atlanta and had a failed tryout with Los Angeles before playing his final campaign with Montreal in 1989. Two years later, he was found to have a malignant brain tumor, and his speech and motor skills were affected. Garcia passed away due to cancer in his native country in 2020 at age 63.

1. Roberto Alomar – A native of Puerto Rico, he was the son of Sandy Alomar Sr., an All-Star infielder during a 15-year major league career, and younger brother of Sandy Alomar Jr., a six-time All-Star catcher who won the Rookie of the Year Award and a gold glove in 1990. Roberto signed with the Padres at age 17 and showed promise as a speedy second baseman before earning his first of 12 straight All-Star selections in 1990. Following the season, he was traded to Toronto a star-studded four-player deal that also included Joe Carter going with Alomar to the Blue Jays for standout shortstop Tony Fernandez and future Hall of Fame first baseman Fred McGriff. He joined his older brother as an All-Star in 1991 when the Midsummer Classic was played at his new home in Toronto.

Alomar’s five seasons with the Blue Jays (1991-95), cemented the emerging club as a power in the American League. He was an All-Star and a gold glove winner each campaign in Toronto, won two fielding titles and topped 150 hits, 30 stolen bases and 60 RBIs four times each. He finished sixth in the MVP voting three straight years, with his best season coming in 1993, when he batted .326 with 109 runs, 192 hits, 17 home runs, 93 RBIs, 290 total bases and a career-best 55 steals. As good as Alomar was in the regular season, he turned it up a notch in the playoffs. He was named MVP of the 1992 ALCS after posting four runs, 11 hits, two homers, four RBIs and five stolen bases against Oakland. Alomar very easily could have been named MVP of the World Series the following year after totaling five runs, 12 hits, six RBIs and four steals to help the Blue Jays defeat the Phillies for their second straight championship.

Despite continued production from their second baseman, the Blue Jays were rebuilding. Alomar signed with Baltimore following the 1995 season, ending his tenure in Toronto ranked second in franchise history in average (.307) and stolen bases (206), tied for fifth in triples (36) and sixth in on-base percentage (.382) to go with 451 runs, 832 hits, 152 doubles, 55 home runs, 342 RBIs and 1,221 total bases in 703 games. He appeared in 29 postseason contests with Toronto, totaling 18 runs, 44 hits, five doubles, two homers, 18 RBIs and 18 steals. Alomar had an infamous moment during his first season with the Orioles. In a late September game against his former team, he was called out on strikes and got in a heated argument with umpire John Hisrchbeck that resulted in his ejection. The second baseman alleges that during the argument, the umpire uttered a racial slur, and he responded by spitting in his face, an action that earned him a five-game suspension. His run of All-Star selections continued through three seasons in Baltimore and three more with Cleveland.

Alomar’s production started to decline after a trade to the Mets following the 2001 season. He spent time with the White Sox and Diamondbacks before retiring in 2004, ending his 17-year career with 12 All-Star selections, 10 gold gloves, four silver sluggers, a .300 average, 1,508 runs, 2,724 hits, 504 doubles, 210 home runs, 1,134 RBIs, 474 stolen bases and 4,018 total bases in 2,379 games. Alomar was known for his flashy defense, timely hitting and speed. After missing out by just eight votes in his first year on the ballot, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. However, his life outside of the game has been less than stellar. Alomar faced allegations of exposing at least four women, including his ex-wife, to HIV. In 2021, he was fired by the Blue Jays and Major League Baseball and placed on the league’s ineligible list after an investigation found that he sexually harassed a female staff member in Toronto in 2014.

Shortstops

5. Tony Batista – Known for his extreme batting stance, he played for six major league teams and another in Japan during a 12-year professional career. After stints with the Athletics and Diamondbacks, Batista was traded to the Blue Jays during the 1999 season and produced 26 home runs in 98 games. The following year, he was named an All-Star after batting .263 and setting career highs with 96 runs, 163 hits, 41 home runs and 114 RBIs. Batista slumped in 2001 and signed with the Orioles off waivers. He had two solid seasons Baltimore and another with Montreal before spending 2005 with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in Japan’s Pacific League. Batista spent one year each with the Twins and Nationals before ending his career in 2007 with 221 home runs.

4. Alex Gonzalez – The Miami native was drafted by the Blue Jays out of high school in 1991 and had a brief call-up three years later. He became a starter in 1995 and put together an eight-year run in Toronto (1994-2001) in which his defense was solid, and his offense improved through the years. Gonzalez missed most of the 1999 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, but he recovered to post two solid campaigns. His last season with Toronto proved to be his best, as he hit 17 home runs and set career highs with 79 runs, 161 hits and 76 RBIs. Gonzalez was traded to the Cubs after the season, ending his Blue Jays tenure ranked sixth in franchise history with 758 strikeouts to go with 407 runs, 798 hits, 172 doubles, 83 homers, 350 RBIs (including four seasons with 50 or more) and 1,259 total bases in 890 games. He also spent time with the Expos, Padres, Devil Rays and Phillies and had failed tryouts with the Royals and Nationals before retiring in 2007. Gonzalez became a sports agent and has worked as a baseball studio analyst.

3. Bo Bichette – The team’s current starter at the position is the son of Dante Bichette, a four-time All-Star slugging outfielder known for his time with Colorado in the early days of the Rockies franchise. The younger Bichette was drafted in the second round by the Blue Jays in 2016, played in two MLB All-Star Futures Games and made his major league debut at the end of the 2019 season. As a rookie, he set a record by hitting a double in nine straight games, and he hit better than .300 in his first two seasons.

Bichette took over as a full-time starter in 2021, and he earned his first All-Star selection after batting .298, setting career highs with 121 runs, 29 homers, 102 RBIs, 25 steals and 310 total bases, and leading the league with 191 hits. The following year, he posted a .290-24-93 with 91 runs, a personal-best 43 doubles, and 189 hits, which led the A. L. for the second straight season. Bichette made his second All-Star Game in 2023 but slumped badly in the next campaign. He enters 2025 ranked seventh in franchise history with a .290 average to go with 360 runs, 723 hits, 146 doubles, 93 home runs, 343 RBIs and 1,162 total bases in 609 games. Bichette has also six hits in six career postseason contests.

2. Alfredo Griffin – A native of the Dominican Republic, he signed with the Indians as a 16-year-old but played just 31 games in three brief callups with Cleveland before he was traded to Toronto. Griffin responded to the move immediately, sharing the Rookie of the Year Award (with Twins catcher John Castino) after batting .287 with 81 runs, 31 RBIs, 21 stolen bases and a career-best 179 hits. He led the league with 15 triples in 1980 and, after slumping during the strike-shortened season, he played every game in each of the next two years. Griffin made the All-Star team in a most unusual way in 1984. The league paid for one guest for each selected player and Garcia brought his double play partner as his “plus-one”. When Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell hurt his arm the day before the game, Griffin replaced him on the squad.

“Primo” was traded to the Athletics after the season and won his only gold glove in 1985. After three seasons in Oakland, he was sent south to Los Angeles in a three-team deal involving the Dodgers and Mets. Griffin’s team beat New York in the NLCS and then toppled Oakland in the 1988 World Series. He returned to the Blue Jays as a free agent in 1992 and spent his final two seasons as a backup and veteran presence on back-to-back championship teams. Griffin spent eight years overall in Toronto (1979-84 and 92-93), and he ranks third in franchise history with 50 triples to go with 382 runs, 844 hits, 127 doubles, 231 RBIs, 79 stolen bases and 1,110 total bases in 982 games. He went 0-for-2 and appeared in seven postseason games. Griffin was known for his outgoing personality, his aggressive (and sometimes reckless) baserunning and being involved in three perfect games for the losing team. Following his playing career, he was a coach for the Blue Jays and Angels, as well as in the winter league in his native country.

1. Tony Fernandez – Like many other players from the Dominican Republic, he was signed as a teenager. Fernandez took over for Griffin and stuck around for six seasons in his first go-round with the Blue Jays. He was a fantastic contact hitter, who posted an average better than .300 twice, amassed at least 60 RBIs and 160 hits five times each, with his 213 hits in 1986 setting a record for shortstops at the time. Fernandez was a part of two division-winning Toronto clubs, totaling eight runs, 15 hits and five stolen bases in 12 games in two ALCS appearances. After three All-Star selections and four gold gloves, he was sent to San Diego in the blockbuster trade that saw future Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar go to Toronto.

Fernandez spent two seasons with the Padres, earning his fourth All-Star selection in 1992. The following year, he was traded first to the Mets and then back to the Blue Jays. Fernandez was essential in Toronto’s run to a second straight championship, amassing 14 hits and 10 RBIs in 12 playoff games, and he drove in nine runs against the Phillies in the 1993 World Series. He also played for the Reds and Yankees, missed the entire 1996 season with a fractured elbow and was an integral part of the Indians’ playoff push a year later. Fernandez hit a pennant-winning home run in the 11th inning of Game 6 of the ALCS against the Orioles, then ripped eight hits and drove in four runs in the World Series, which the Indians lost in seven games to the Marlins.

The two-time fielding champion returned to Toronto and had two solid seasons, including a fifth All-Star selection 1999. He played for the Seibu Lions in Japan the following year, then returned to the U. S. to sign with Milwaukee before getting a fourth stint with Toronto at the end of the 2001 season. In all, Fernandez spent 12 of his 17 major league seasons with the Blue Jays (1983-90, 93, 98-99 and 2001). He is the all-time franchise leader in games (1,450), hits (1,583) and triples (72, including a club-record and league-leading 17 in 1990), and he ranks third in doubles (291), fourth in stolen bases (172), fifth in runs (704), average (.297) and total bases (2,198) and sixth in walks (439). Fernandez also appeared in 24 playoff games with Toronto, production 11 runs, 29 hits, six doubles, 13 RBIs and five stolen bases. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. Fernandez was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and passed away in 2020 at age 57 after suffering a stroke while in a coma at a Florida hospital.