Which franchise legend could be next to join Blue Jays' Hall of Excellence?

TORONTO -- Across the many renovations that have modernized Rogers Centre, some of the most important changes the Blue Jays have made look to the past.

First came the nods to history along the 100 level, where the pillars now hold displays with memorabilia from 50 seasons of Blue Jays baseball. Then came the back-to-back World Series statue in front of the stadium, that famous image of Joe Carter. This past weekend brought the main attraction, though, when the Blue Jays opened their Hall of Excellence and inducted the great Buck Martinez, who joined the 11 existing members.

Five years ago, the Blue Jays had the Level of Excellence wrapped around the facing of the 400 level, but the club’s history wasn’t accessible enough. Young fans, or even fans in their 20s and 30s, weren’t hearing the stories of Dave Stieb, George Bell and those great teams of the 1980s often enough. That’s changed.

“The Hall of Excellence creates a permanent home for the stories, achievement and memories of the players and leaders who helped build this franchise and shape Blue Jays history,” said club president and CEO Mark Shapiro at the unveiling. “The individuals represented here established the foundation of this organization and we are proud to ensure that their stories will continue to be told for years to come.”

This also included a call for fans to be part of the process moving forward, with voting now open on the club’s website. Along with a write-in option, the names suggested are: Devon White, Edwin Encarnación, Ernie Whitt, Fred McGriff, Tom Henke, Jimmy Key, John Olerud, Pat Hentgen, Lloyd Moseby, Jesse Barfield, Vernon Wells, Juan Guzmán, Jim Clancy and Duane Ward.

With a clear intent to grow this space, it begs the question: Who’s next?

LHP Jimmy Key (1984-1992)

When you get past franchise icons Stieb and Roy Halladay, who will share the tops of these franchise leaderboards forever, you start running into Key’s name an awful lot.

His 3.42 ERA with the Blue Jays is tied with Stieb -- and just 0.01 runs better than Halladay -- over 1,695 2/3 innings. Key and Stieb led so many of those great rotations through the mid- and late 80s, Key the lefty who was always under control, Stieb the fiery right-hander. Beyond Stieb and Halladay, only Clancy has thrown more innings in a Blue Jays uniform than Key.

RHP Tom Henke (1985-1992)

The greatest closer in Blue Jays history, Henke and the late Ward formed a back end that feels decades ahead of its time in hindsight. Henke’s 217 saves tower above the rest, with Ward’s 121 the closest in second place.

Henke’s case runs up against what so many others do, which is that we’re talking about tenures of six or eight years, not 10 or 12, which could be the tipping point. The importance of Henke’s addition prior to the 1985 season can never be overstated, though, and the role he played in taking the young Blue Jays organization to another level must always be remembered.

DH Edwin Encarnación (2009-2016)

Once again, if Encarnación had played a few more seasons in Toronto, this case would be undeniable. His run from 2012-16 was remarkable, though, forming one of the most feared one-two punches in baseball alongside José Bautista.

Encarnación works as an interesting debate alongside Vernon Wells and Josh Donaldson, and there’s no wrong answer here. Do you prefer a player who was truly elite in a short time like Donaldson, a player who was very good over the medium term like Encarnación, or a player who was solid for parts of 12 seasons in Toronto and climbed plenty of all-time leaderboards like Wells?

Broadcaster Jerry Howarth

The radio voice of the Blue Jays for 36 seasons, Howarth brought us so much of this organization’s history right alongside Tom Cheek, who he could someday join again in the Hall of Excellence.

Martinez was recently inducted under the “Builders and Broadcasters” designation, which also applies to Cheek, Paul Beeston and Pat Gillick. The Blue Jays have a rich media history that stretches into the press box, including the Hall of Famer Bob Elliott and Alison Gordon, who in 1979 became the first woman to cover an MLB beat full-time for the Toronto Star.

Broadcasters welcome fans into the game every night, though, like Dan Shulman and Joe Siddall do now. For 36 years, Blue Jays fans turned on their radio and heard that familiar voice of Howarth welcoming them … “Hello, friends!”