Even Newer Blue Jays Jersey Numbers for 2021

Two weeks ago, we published “New Blue Jays jersey numbers for 2021”. Since that time, there were a few additional changes so here is the updated post. Do note that this post is mostly cheap, recycled content.

Since I was a youth, I have been interested in learning what numbers new Blue Jays players were going to wear in Toronto and to spot which current Jays were switching numbers. Because of the lack of Internet access back then, I started a notebook tracking player numbers when I was 9 or so and my favourite present every birthday (it’s in April so make a note, readers) would be my own copy of the Blue Jays Official Guide which listed the numbers for everyone, including non-roster invitees.

Looking up player numbers is much easier nowadays but I still find it fun to keep track on who is wearing what from year to year. Let’s start our journey with #3:

3

Jonathan Davis switches from the #49 he wore over the past two years to Brandon Drury’s old #3. He wore #67 when he was first called up to Toronto.

4

George Springer has worn #4 his entire career and he will continue to do so this year when he debuts with the Blue Jays. Last year, third base coach Luis Rivera wore #4 so he has switched to...

20

Luis Rivera first wore #63 when he first became coach in Toronto in 2011, then switched to #2, before landing on #4 when Troy Tulowitzki was acquired. The fourth number Rivera will be wearing with the Jays ties him with Tim Leiper who wore four different numbers (#21, #23, #34, and #51) on the back of his Toronto uniform. Last year #20 was worn by Daniel Volgelbach and then Jonathan Villar, who switched from #30 in mid-September.

6

One of the two players returning to the Blue Jays as a non-roster invitee, Richard Ureña will don #6 in spring training, a number last worn by Travis Shaw in 2020. Ureña spent last season in the Orioles’ system and wore #7 in his previous stint in Toronto. Speaking of #7...

7

The new owner of the #7 jersey in Toronto is Reese McGuire, who is inheriting the number from another catcher, Caleb Joseph. McGuire is switching because his old #10 now belongs to...

10

New free agent signing Marcus Semien, who has worn #10 for the past six years with the Athletics.

22

We skip up a Roberto Alomar number of steps to #22, which will be worn by left-handed pitcher Steven Matz. Chase Anderson wore #22 last year, but last Blue Jays southpaw to wear that number was none other than Jimmy Key. Matz has worn #32 his entire career with the Mets, but that number was unavailable to him in Toronto as it is retired for Roy Halladay. Another pitcher who had to switch from #32 was...

34

Tyler Chatwood, who had intermittently worn #32 for eight seasons in his career. Matt Shoemaker was the most recent Blue Jay to wear #34.

28

Minor league free agent signing Tyler White will be wearing #28 as an invitee in spring training. White wore #28 with the Dodgers in 2019, Billy McKinney wore #28 for the Jays over his three seasons in Toronto.

30

Alejandro Kirk switches from his rookie number of #85 to #30, which was worn by Anthony Alford and Jonathan Villar in 2020. He went down 55 uniform numbers; looks like he may have lost 55 pounds too.

35

David Phelps will wear #35 in his second stint with the Blue Jays, the same number he wore in his first stint.

29

Phelps’ signing forces T.J. Zeuch to switch from #35 to #29. Zeuch has only made eight appearances for the Blue Jays but will be on his third number going into the 2021 season, having previously worn #71 and #35. This will be the first number he has worn whose digits do not sum to 8.

39

Kirby Yates will continue wearing the #39 that he has worn for most of his career in 2021. Bench coach Dave Hudgens needs a new number, so he selected...

19

The sacred number once worn by Jose Bautista. Two players, Freddy Galvis and Alen Hanson, briefly wore the number (Galvis only in early spring training) before public pressure from Blue Jays fans forced them to change. I wonder if Dave Hudgens feels that it would be OK to have #19 on his back because fans would rarely see his number on the field.

45

Returning to Toronto as a non-roster player after a few years away, Francisco Liriano will be reclaiming his old #45, which he wore with the Blue Jays in 2016 and 2017. In the interim, it had been assigned to Chris Rowley and Thomas Pannone.

50

Added to the 40-man roster this offseason, catcher Riley Adams gets #50 after being assigned #76 for spring training 2020. Phillippe Aumont wore #50 before he became a farmer after COVID shut down spring training.

59

Josh Palacios will be wearing #59 in his debut season on the 40-man roster after wearing #77 in spring training last year.

60

Ty Tice, who wore #73 in spring training last year, gets a more roster-y number after being protected from the Rule 5 Draft. Justin Miller had this number in spring training last year.

64

Waiver pickup Joel Payamps will be wearing #64 this season, having previously worn #35 and #36 while with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Héctor Pérez wore #64 in 2020 in his lone outing with the Blue Jays.

70

Catcher Gabriel Moreno, another prospect who was added to the roster for protection from the Rule 5 Draft, will be wearing a not-very-roster-y #70 in his first trip to big league spring training. Another catcher, Patrick Cantwell, had that number last spring training.

72

Otto Lopez takes #72, last worn in 2020’s spring training by Santiago Espinal. Espinal switched to #5 after making the team.

Non-Roster Invitees

• #63 Anthony Castro
• #73 Joey Murray
• #75 Alek Manoah
• #76 Simeon Woods Richardson
• #77 Jordan Groshans
• #79 Bryan Baker (Wore #81 last spring)
• #80 Austin Martin
• #81 Kirby Snead (Wore #83 last spring)
• #83 Nick Allgeyer
• #84 Adam Kloffenstein
• #85 Jackson Rees
• #86 Philip Clarke
• #87 Ryan Noda
• #89 Logan Warmoth (Wore #80 last spring)
• #91 Yosver Zulueta
• #92 Miguel Hiraldo
• #93 Leonardo Jimenez
• #94 CJ van Eyk
• #95 Orelvis Martinez
• #96 Chavez Young