A Complete History Of Toronto Blue Jays Managers

At the start of the 1977 season, Major League Baseball expanded into Toronto, breathing life into the Toronto Blue Jays. Since then, 15 men have held the title of manager, with varying tactics and levels of success. Some are remembered fondly, while others draw the ire of fans, even years later.

Here’s a trip through the nearly five decades of Toronto Blue Jays managers, highlighting the ups, downs, and everything in between.

Complete List of Toronto Blue Jays Managers

• John Schneider: 2022-Present
• Charlie Montoyo: 2019-2022
• John Gibbons: 2004-2008, 2013-2018
• John Farrell: 2011-2012
• Cito Gaston: 1989-1997, 2008-2010
• Carlos Tosca: 2002-2004
• Buck Martinez: 2001-2002
• Jim Fregosi: 1999-2000
• Tim Johnson: 1998
• Mel Queen: 1997
• Gene Tenace: 1991
• Jimy Williams: 1986-1989
• Bobby Cox: 1982-1985
• Bobby Mattick: 1980-1981
• Roy Hartsfield: 1977-1979

John Schneider: 2022-Present

The jury is still out on how John Schneider will be remembered as manager of the Blue Jays. He’s already led the team to a pair of post-season appearances in 2022 and 2023, but without a single victory in either year. 

At times he has been accused of blindly following analytics, specifically after the pulled José Berríos from a playoff game in which he was rolling, but that narrative has quieted as he’s gained experience in the role.

Many find him to be quite personable and he’s very open with the media, often giving insight into his decisions and happenings with the team.

Fun Fact: Schneider pitched to Vladdy in both of his home run derby appearances, including his victory in 2023.

Charlie Montoyo: 2019-2022 - .500 Win%

Replacing Gibbons, who was uninterested in managing a rebuilding team, after 2018, Charlie Montoyo’s tenure as manager marked a very different era of Blue Jays baseball.

He was the first managerial hire made by the current front office regime of Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, and was the perfect voice in the room as prospects from a top ranked farm system graduated to the big leagues. 

Montoyo was around to cultivate the talents of Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and their peers, and was an American League manager of the year finalist when the Blue Jays over achieved, making the expanded playoff in 2020.

He was fired after getting off to a disappointing start to the 2022 season, but his conga playing will always remain iconic.

John Gibbons: 2004-2008, 2013-2018 - .501 Win%

One of the true characters of baseball, and at this point one of the most beloved managers in Blue Jays history, his former players, staff members and opponents could probably go around the circle telling stories about John Gibbons.

However Gibby’s first tenure as the Blue Jays skipper came with a lot more controversy than the joy that gets remembered from his second kick at the can. His teams were often solid, despite never making the playoffs, but often very public disputes with players became what he was known for. 

There was the dispute with eventual Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, and of course the infamous altercation with Ted Lilly.

Gibby was fired and replaced by Cito Gaston after his team got off to a poor start in 2008, but Gibby would make a triumphant return to the Blue Jays clubhouse in 2013 with a fresh new group of players.

His second tenure, although not without some controversy between him and his players (Josh Donaldson’s cologne must have smelled really good), saw playoff baseball return to Toronto for the first time since 1993. His 2015 and ‘16 teams were exciting, fun, and damn good. And Gibby was the perfect person to lead them.

John Farrell: 2011-2012 - .475 Win%

John Farrell is among the most hated managers in Blue Jays history, and not just because both of his Blue Jays teams finished in fourth place in the American League East. 

Fans of a certain age will remember Farrell running off to Boston for his “dream job”, completely abandoning what the Blue Jays were trying to build in Toronto.

Amidst his departure Farrell continued to claim that his heart was in Toronto, but players and fans said otherwise.

If you’re still feeling bitter about how Farrell treated the Blue Jays, enjoy this video of Jon Rauch’s epic meltdown in which Farrell dislocated his jaw trying to restrain him:

Cito Gaston: 1989-1997, 2008-2010 - .516 Win%

It would be the 12-24 start to the 1989 season that saw Williams lose his job to Cito Gaston, who had been working as a hitting coach in the Blue Jays organization since he followed Bobby Cox from the Braves in 1982.

Known as a soft-spoken, player’s manager, Gaston headed the glory days of Blue Jays baseball, winning division titles in ‘89, ‘91, ‘92, and ‘93, with the latter two resulting in World Series Championships. 

Gaston was the first African American manager to win a World Series championship, he’s a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, and his name sits on the Level of Excellence at the Rogers Centre.

After trying his hand at other roles in the Blue Jays’ organization, Gaston returned to the manager’s office from 2008-2010, although his old-school style seemed out-dated, and never quite seemed to mesh with the current players.

Carlos Tosca: 2002-2004 - .500 Win%t

After being hired as the third base coach prior to the 2002 season, it didn’t take long for Carlos Tosca to receive a promotion to manager of the Blue Jays when they got off to a 33-20 start to the season.

He oversaw a classic ‘00’s Blue Jays season in 2003 in which they finished well above .500 but fell short of a playoff spot, but a 47-64 in 2004 saw him lose his job.

Buck Martinez: 2001-2002 - .465 Win%

It was brief, but yes, beloved broadcaster Buck Martinez actually did manage the Blue Jays. 

You most likely know him from his nearly four decades of working on Blue Jays broadcasts, or his nearly 2 decades as a big leaguer before that, but in a time when new owners Rogers Communications had just taken over the team they were looking to build trust with fans. Martinez’s familiar, and already fan favourite face was the choice to lead the team.

The peculiar thing about Martinez being hired as the head coach was that prior to taking the job, he had never coached a baseball team before.

He said, “Coming in as a manager at the major league level is a tremendous challenge… And not having any managerial experience, any coaching experience at any level, I didn't realize what a difficult task that was”.

That adds up when you look at his disappointing 100-115 record and the fact that he was fired just a couple months into his second season as manager.

Blue Jays fans don’t hold Buck’s lack of success as a manager against him. He’s one of the most iconic figures in the organization's rich history, a joy to listen to on broadcasts, and very likely a future member of the Level of Excellence.

Jim Fregosi: 1999-2000 - .515 Win%

In need of some stability, and with the 1999 season right around the corner, the Blue Jays looked to managerial veteran Jim Fregosi to take the helm.

He managed back-to-back winning seasons in ‘99 and 2000, but his teams failed to meet the playoff aspirations, and with Rogers coming in as new owners, his contract was not renewed ahead of the 2001 season.

Tim Johnson: 1998 - .543 Win%

The protagonist of the perhaps most dumbfounding story to ever come out of the manager’s office in Toronto, Tim Johnson led the Blue Jays to a successful season in 1998, before being relieved of his duties prior to the 1999 season. 

As a manager, Johnson was known to tell his players stories about his time as a military man, fighting in Vietnam, speaking of his hardships in battle as a way to motivate his players. In one of the most gruesome of these stories he “tried convincing starter Pat Hentgen to move his start back a day so ace Roger Clemens could start the final game of the series. For ‘inspiration,’ Johnson actually said he killed a mother and child in Vietnam, an act he was against but did for the good ‘of the cause’”.

The catch? Johnson was never actually deployed to Vietnam. When word made its way around the Blue Jays clubhouse that Johnson had fabricated his stories, players understandably came out to express their distrust in Johnson going forward, and he was fired in spring training 1999 with then-GM Gord Ash citing “distractions” as the main reason.

Mel Queen: 1997 - .800 Win%

At the end of four straight losing seasons following back-to-back World Series Championships in ‘92 and ‘93, Gaston was let go by the Blue Jays and replaced by pitching coach Mel Queen on an interim basis.

His managerial career only lasted five games, but his team went 4-1.

Gene Tenace: 1991 - .576 Win%

When Gaston needed an extended absence from the team late in the 1991 season due to a back problem, Gene Tenace stepped up as the interim manager. He led the Jays to a 19-14 record, and saw them hold onto 1st place in the AL East down the stretch.

Gaston would return for the playoffs, and eventual 4-1 series loss to the Minnesota Twins in the ALCS.

Jimy Williams: 1986-1989 - .538 Win%

The third base coach of the Blue Jays since 1980, Jimy Williams received the promotion to manager when Cox left the organization after the 1985 season. 

He led the Jays to winning seasons in each of his first three campaigns, but the infamous 1987 collapse which saw his team choke away an AL East lead of 3.5 games with 7 games left to the Detroit Tigers, a disappointing 3rd place finish in ‘88 and a 12-24 start to ‘89 leave the overall perception of WIlliams’ time at the helm one of missed opportunities.

After his time with the Jays, Williams would move on to manage the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.

Bobby Cox: 1982-1985 - .549 Win%

Of all his success during his Hall of Fame career in baseball, his four years as Blue Jays manager may not be the time Bobby Cox is most remembered for, but his brief time in Toronto was extremely impactful. 

He led the Blue Jays to their first ever winning seasons in 1983 and ‘84, and first ever playoff berth after winning a (still) franchise record 99 games and AL East division in 1985, before blowing a 3-1 lead to the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS.

Fun Fact: Cox, known to be a bit of a hot-head, owns the major league record with 162 ejections as a manager.

Bobby Mattick: 1980-1981 - .388 Win%

Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Bobby Mattick replaced Hartsfield in the dugout for the 1980 season, but was not new to the Blue Jays organization. Mattick was one of the team’s original employees, working in the front office as a scouting supervisor, and then as the director of player development prior to being asked to manage.

He oversaw the first non-100 loss season in franchise history, but took a step back in winning percentage in a strike-shortened 1981, before returning to a front office role as the vice-president of baseball. 

Fun Fact: at the time of his hiring, Mattick was the oldest rookie manager to ever start a season.

Roy Hartsfield: 1977-1979 - .343 Win%

As the first ever manager of the expansion franchise, Roy Hartsfield’s job was a very difficult one. He helmed the team as it endured three straight seasons of greater than 100 loss baseball.

With his third and final season as manager of the club in 1979 the worst record of his tenure, and with players publicly calling for him to be fired, Hartsfield was not offered the chance to come back for a fourth season.