Jesse Barfield
A Gold Glove right fielder with a cannon arm who led the AL in home runs and assists.
Jesse Lee Barfield is an American former professional baseball player who played as a right fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees from 1981 to 1992. A two-time Gold Glove Award winner, he was renowned for his powerful throwing arm, leading American League outfielders in assists five times. Barfield led the league in home runs in 1986 with 40, earning a Silver Slugger Award and an All-Star selection that same year. Despite injuries ending his major league career after 11 seasons, he finished second only to Hall of Famer Chuck Klein in outfield assists per 1,000 innings.
- Role
- Right Fielder
- Affiliation
- Toronto Blue Jays (1981–1989)
- Status
- Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (elected 2023), Kinston Professional Baseball Hal
- Jersey Number
- None
- Key Achievement
- American League Home Run Leader (1986), 2-time Gold Glove Award winner, Silver S
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Barfield's tenure with the Blue Jays began when he was selected in the ninth round of the 1977 draft. He made his debut on September 3, 1981, recording an RBI single off Steve Trout in a 4–3 win against the Chicago White Sox. He formed what many analysts considered the best outfield of the 1980s alongside George Bell and Lloyd Moseby. In 1985, Barfield achieved a career-high .289 average with 27 home runs and 22 stolen bases, becoming the first Blue Jay to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in one season as Toronto reached the playoffs for the first time.
In Their Own Story
The defining moment of Jesse Barfield's career arrived in 1986. He collected career highs across the board: .289 batting average, 40 home runs, 108 RBI, and 107 runs. His 40 homers led all of Major League Baseball and set a team record that lasted one year. This offensive explosion was matched by his defense; he won both a Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award while being named to the American League All-Star team. That season, he also recorded 170 hits and 35 doubles with an adjusted OPS+ of 147. His power was so significant that he led the league in home runs, cementing his status as one of the premier right fielders of his era before injuries began to take their toll.
Reader's Guide
His final Blue Jays season in 1989 saw him start batting .200 before the trade. Over his career with Toronto, he was a free swinger who struck out more than 140 times in five separate seasons (1985–1987, 1989, and 1990). He ended his time in Toronto having won two Gold Glove Awards and establishing himself as the team's primary power threat. After leaving for New York, he played until 1992 before finishing his professional career with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan in 1993.
Did You Know?
- Barfield led American League outfielders in assists five times during his career.
- In 1986, Barfield became the first Blue Jay to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in the same season (he actually did 27 homers and 22 steals in 1985).
- He played his final professional season in 1993 with the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball league, reuniting with former teammate Lloyd Moseby.
- Barfield was granted free agency on November 4, 1992, after a difficult final MLB season where he batted .137.