Who will have Blue Jays' next retired number?

TORONTO -- For most of the club’s history, the Blue Jays did not retire numbers. Instead, the Level of Excellence existed as the highest honour for “tremendous individual achievement.”

That changed in 2011 when the Jays retired Roberto Alomar's No. 12, following his induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Seven years later, Roy Halladay’s No. 32 was also retired following his tragic death in a plane crash off the Florida coast in 2017.

• Blue Jays' all-time retired numbers

The Level of Excellence still stands, of course, with names wrapping around the facing of the 500 level at Rogers Centre. Joining Halladay and Alomar on that level are George Bell, Joe Carter, Carlos Delgado, Tony Fernandez and Dave Stieb. Those players also have the company of broadcaster Tom Cheek, manager Cito Gaston and executives Pat Gillick and Paul Beeston.

Who’s next, then?

Given that Alomar and Halladay are both Hall of Famers who are considered by many to be the two greatest players in club history, the bar is set quite high when it comes to the Blue Jays retiring jersey numbers.

Looking at the new wave of candidates who are either still playing or have recently left the game, several are at least worthy of consideration for the Level of Excellence.

José Bautista
From his 54-homer season in 2010 to his postseason bat flip in '15, Bautista’s 10 seasons with the Blue Jays were full of big moments on the big stage. His 36.1 career Wins Above Replacement is the best all-time among Blue Jays hitters, but his iconic status in Toronto comes just as much from how he did it.

Bautista had an edge, which perfectly fit the narrative of a slugger who shocked baseball by breaking out at age 29. Bautista’s No. 19 is already treated with care in Blue Jays circles, too. In early 2019, Freddy Galvis changed his number from 19 to 16 after realizing he’d taken the number of the Blue Jays legend.

Josh Donaldson
The only knock against Donaldson is that he wasn’t here longer. When Donaldson was at his best, though, in his 2015 American League MVP season, he may not have a rival in Blue Jays history. Donaldson has some gas left in the tank, but there will be a conversation several years down the road about where his name belongs.

Edwin Encarnación
Encarnación and Bautista formed an incredible one-two punch in the middle of the order for the Blue Jays. Always a safe bet for 30-plus home runs, Encarnación had memorable moments, too, including a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning in the 2016 AL Wild Card Game. His No. 10 won’t be retired, but a spot on the Level of Excellence certainly seems like it’s in the cards.

Vernon Wells
Speaking of No. 10s, Wells gave the Blue Jays 12 solid seasons from 1999-2010. After establishing himself in 2002, Wells broke out in '03, earning his first of three All-Star nods and Gold Glove Awards. He ranks fifth all-time in position-player WAR for the Blue Jays, while only Delgado and Fernandez have appeared in more games.

The kids
How will Bo Bichette’s No. 11 be viewed a decade from now? What about Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s No. 27 or Nate Pearson’s eventual jersey number? Projecting the levels of success required to have one’s number retired is bold, but surely there was a time where we would have said the same about Alomar or Halladay, too.

Jerry Howarth
For 36 years, beginning in 1981, Howarth was the play-by-play voice of the Blue Jays. With his trademarks like “Hello, friends…,” “The Blue Jays are in flight,” and “Yes sir, there she goes,” Howarth became part of the fabric of Blue Jays baseball for generations of fans.

Following his retirement in early 2018, Howarth’s career and impact on those around him are worthy of recognition on the Level of Excellence. Perhaps his name would fit best back alongside his old broadcast partner, Tom Cheek.