Former Blue Jay Edwin Encarnacion named on 2026 Hall of Fame ballot

"His first two seasons with the Blue Jays were nothing special, slashing .244/.305/.482 with 21 home runs in 2010 and .272/.334/.453 with 17 home runs in 2012. Entering his age-29 season in 2012, a full-time move to first base/designated hitter allowed his game to break out. The 2012 season saw Encarnación slash .280/.384/.557 with 42 home runs in 644 plate appearances, setting a career-high in home runs. He kept up the momentum in 2013, slashing .272/370/.534 with 36 home runs, becoming a first-time All-Star. The 2014 season saw Encarnación slash .268/.354/.547 with 34 home runs in 542 plate appearances, once again earning an All-Star appearance."

"For the first time since 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays made the playoffs in 2015, and Encarnación was a big part of that. That season, he slashed .277/.372/.557 with 39 home runs in 624 plate appearances. It was also the first time Encarnación made the postseason, as he slashed .275/.383/.400 with a home run in 47 plate appearances."

"The Jays made the playoffs again in 2016, as Encarnación slashed .263/.357/.529, matching his career-best home runs with 42. It was the final time he made the All-Star Game, and the most notable moment of his career happened this season, as he hit a walk-off home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Game."

Edwin Encarnación was drafted in the ninth round of the 2000 draft by the Texas Rangers and debuted with the Cincinnati Reds five years later. A 2009 trade landed him with the Toronto Blue Jays, where initial seasons were modest. A full-time move to first base/designated hitter in 2012 triggered a breakout, including a 42-home-run season. Encarnación produced consecutive 30-plus home run seasons, became a two-time All-Star, and played a major role in the Blue Jays reaching the playoffs in 2015 and 2016. The 2016 season featured his career-defining walk-off home run in the Wild Card Game.

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