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Edwin Encarnación should be the next Blue Jays player inducted into the Hall of Excellence
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Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
Mar 28, 2026, 13:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 28, 2026, 11:37 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays recently announced a rebranding of their Level of Excellence into the Hall of Excellence, with beloved broadcaster Buck Martinez set to become its newest inductee on August 29th. 
Martinez, who retired from the booth in February, absolutely deserves the honour as one of the organization’s premier ambassadors across a variety of roles. He’s the first of several familiar faces who will be inducted over the next five years, according to Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro.
José Bautista was the last player inducted into the then-Level of Excellence in 2023, and the next one should unquestionably be his former teammate, Edwin Encarnación.
Encarnación is one of the most productive power hitters in franchise history. The 239 home runs he hit across his eight seasons in Toronto rank third on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard behind Bautista and Carlos Delgado. His .877 OPS ranks third, while his 679 RBIs rank sixth. 
The numbers only tell the beginning of the story, though, as Encarnación’s place in the Blue Jays’ history can’t be explained exclusively through statistics. 
He helped usher in a new, exciting era of baseball in Toronto after decades of disappointment following the back-to-back championships in the 1990s. He was just as much a part of finally ending the playoff drought in 2015 as Bautista, hitting 39 home runs that year while driving in 111.
Encarnacion, like Bautista, also has a truly iconic moment on his resume. His walk-off home run in the American League Wild Card Game against the Baltimore Orioles in 2016 is a forever memory for many fans. That team, which limped into the playoffs, went on to win the ALDS against the Texas Rangers before eventually flaming out in the ALCS. 
And who could forget the invisible parrot (and the stuffed animal that sits in the right field corner now)? Enacarnacion’s iconic raised elbow on his home run trots remains synonymous with mid-2010s Blue Jays baseball. It was unescapable, especially when Double-E was on one of his ridiculous hot streaks. 
Ultimately, the Level of Excellence has always been paying respect to the most essential Blue Jays. That should continue with the new Hall, and the tale of this organization cannot be told without mentioning Edwin Encarnación. The stats, the moments, the impact—it all amounts to one of the most beloved players in Toronto baseball. 

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