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Who are the top Canadian-born players in MLB history? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Ryan Dempster: with 132 wins over 16 seasons as primarily a starting pitcher, Dempster made two All-Star teams and won a World Series title (with the Boston Red Sox in 2013).
9. Jason Bay: the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year, Bay was a 3x All-Star who hit 30+ home runs 4x for 222 career home runs over his 11-year career.
8. Russell Martin: one of the best all-around catchers of his era, Martin hit nearly 200 career home runs and made four All-Star teams while winning both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.
7. Eric Gagne: after flaming out as a starter, Gagne became a dominant closer in the early 2000s with three consecutive All-Star seasons, including a league-high 55 saves and the NL Cy Young Award in 2003, as well as a record 84 straight converted saves.
6. Jeff Heath: a 2x All-Star in the 1930s and 1940s with the Cleveland Indians, Heath had a .293 career batting average and twice led the league in triples; notably, in 1941, he became the first player with a 20-20-20 season (20 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 home runs).
5. Justin Morneau: a power-hitting first baseman and the first Canadian to win AL MVP (2006), Morneau was a 4x All-Star, 2x Silver Slugger, and 1x batting champion who hit 30+ home runs 3x en route to 247 career home runs.
4. Tip O’Neill: the namesake for the award given annually to the top Canadian baseball player, O’Neill starred in the 19th century and won two batting titles and the Triple Crown in 1887 with an otherworldly .435 batting average.
3. Joey Votto: an on-base machine (seven seasons with the league’s highest on-base percentage, and led baseball in walks and on-base percentage for the 2000s), Votto is a career .300+ hitter with a .400+ on-base percentage while earning six All-Star selections, a Gold Glove, and the 2010 NL MVP award (with two other top-three finishes).
2. Ferguson Jenkins: the first Canadian to win the Cy Young Award (1971) and to make the Hall of Fame, Jenkins was a workhorse starter who made three All-Star teams, finished top-five for Cy Young four other times, and won 20+ games 7x for 284 career wins and 3,192 career strikeouts.
1. Larry Walker: the first Canadian to win an MVP award (in 1997 with the Colorado Rockies), Walker was the first player in 60+ years to hit .360+ in three consecutive seasons and was a true five-tool talent (5x All-Star, 7x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger) who hit .313 for his career with 383 home runs to become the first Canadian hitter to make the Hall of Fame.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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Countdown 77: Top 10 Toronto Maple Leafs of All Time
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