#10: Russell Martin (Toronto Blue Jays)
We open with the first upper tier catcher the Jays have had in years, countryman Russell Martin. Obvious nepotism aside, Martin seems like a pretty cool unit: hearing him converse with fans in French is always neat. An All-Star selection in the 2015 season, Martin hit a few dry spells with the bat, but (like most of the Jays last season) when he connected, those balls went deeper than Greg Luganis, man. Loves me some sluggers, man.
#9: Jordan Subban (Utica Comets)
A clear sign that I have not been paying attention to hockey lately; the only Canucks inclusion on this list isn't even playing for them just yet. It's not that I dislike any of the others; it's just that my top 10 list is a unique blend of quantifiable talent and abstract intangibles. Sedins, you know I love you, boys. Anyhow, Subby Jr. making the list has a fair bit to do with my fondness for his more ballyhooed older brother, P.K. I like all of the Subbans (even the one who plays for - ewwwwww - Boston!), and I have faith that Jordan will find his niche in Vancouver. He has a tantilising talent with the stick, and is a fiery, undersized scrapper, to boot. He's just so damned likable, hence, he appears on this list.
#8: Munenori Kawasaki (Toronto Blue Jays)
Speaking of 'so damned likable', we move onto a man whose infectious personality has made him a gem in the Toronto sports crown, even if he is normally found south of the border in Buffalo. Mune is eccentric, to say the least, and his post-game interviews have gone viral time and time again. As an actual player, he's a light hitter who can get on base, and serves as a good utility guy on defence. Players and fans alike love him though: seeing the way they celebrate his successes (nailing the walk-off winner or hitting his only MLB home run) makes it clear: he's a guy you want to have around. One of the saddest parts of the Jays falling short of the World Series is the fact that we won't get to see the ecstasy in Mune's face.
#7: Jurrell Casey (Tennessee Titans)
I'm fearful for Jurrell Casey, honestly. His career path seems to mirror that of Chris Bosh: a true blue chipper who doesn't get proper recognition because he plays on such a terrible team. Will he, like Bosh, flee for greener pastures? The Titans should definitely throw all of their money his way, because he IS the Titans defence. Powerful, disruptive, instinctive and nasty. Tennessee has seen something of a defensive resurgence this season under the tutelage of Dick LeBeau, and though the excellent addition of Brian Orakpo is a large part of that, it's clear that without Casey gobbling up souls in the middle, that D would not be as good as it is now.
#6: Cory Joseph (Toronto Raptors)
This may seem high for a backup point guard, but in the short time Joseph has been donning Raptors red, he has made his presence felt. Gone are the high volume, defensive turnstile rotations of yesteryear (you still the man though, sweet Lou!), replaced instead by a floor general who does absolutely everything. Need a stop? CoJo gets it done. Need a scorer off the bench? CoJo gets it done. Need to draw up a play where the game winner is a high pressure corner three? CoJo did that, and did that with style. Normally, I would be begging for a man of his calibre to be shifted into the starting lineup, but there's a definite reason why I do not want that to happen! Stay tuned...
#5: Josh Donaldson (Toronto Blue Jays)
Fans of my Toronto NFL blog (a fanbase that consists only of me and data mining spiders) may be familiar with my friend Moose. As it so happens, he is an Oakland A's fan, and was able to fill me in on the significance of the monumental swap of Brett Lawrie for Josh Donaldson. You see, I don't really pay a great deal of attention to other baseball franchises, and as Lawrie was an exciting, athletic freak from my own B.C., his departure was bittersweet. So who was this Josh Donaldson, then? As it turns out - the biggest acquisition the Blue Jays have had since the 90s. As much of a wizard with the glove as he is with the bat, Donaldson has been a revelation in Toronto, shaking up a dusty, dormant franchise and thrusting it into playoff contention. One AL East title and MVP campaign later, Donaldson has firmly entrenched himself as must-see TV. I hope he stays in town for a long, long time!
#4: Marcus Mariota (Tennessee Titans)
Not since the days of Vince Young have I so closely and passionately followed a college player, hoping beyond hope that the Titans were bad enough to draft him. A native of Honolulu (my second favourite American city), Mariota just screamed franchise QB. Just that unflappable, hard working, focused demeanor coupled with the ability to squeeze balls through minuscule windows. When the Titans nabbed him, he quickly made his presence felt, and has been one of the few highlights in an otherwise abysmal season. Without a lot of weapons and behind a patchwork offensive line, Mariota has already surpassed the franchise record for passing yards by a rookie, and currently possesses the NFL's highest red zone QB rating. Give him some proper tools to work with, and he will reward you with a Lombardi or two: I guaran-damn-tee it!
#3: Jose Bautista (Toronto Blue Jays)
Easy selection here. Bautista slogged (and slugged) through years of mediocrity in Toronto, somehow able to transcend the anonimty of playing for a losing franchise to become one of MLB's biggest stars. Seeing him finally get his props this year was a long overdue relief. The champagne and confetti is bittersweet now, considering the playoff collapse that was to follow, but at the time it was a sight to behold. Bautista reminds me a little of a more electrifying Charles Oakley; the elder statesman who rallies the troops, fights back harder than anyone else, and won't take no guff. Had the Jays taken the title, his dinger and subsequent bat flip against the Rangers would have been the most enduring moment in franchise history that doesn't involve Joe Carter. He put the damn team on his back... yet again... and he looked damn good doing it.
#2: Marcus Stroman (Toronto Blue Jays)
Mark my words, Marcus Stroman just become the biggest star in Toronto sports. Bigger than Vince. Bigger than Joe. Bigger even, than the everlasting shadow of the Maple Leafs. Marcus Stroman has only just begun, and he is already our goddamned hero. He is fierce on the mound, straight-up lovable off of it. His season-ending injury was a dreadful blow to our spirits, but in true Stroman fashion, he defied the odds: not just returning earlier than forecast, but being downright dominant while doing it. Stroman is fun incarnate, and will be a stalwart of this franchise for a generation.
#1: Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors)
Come on, you quiz fifty Toronto sports fans, Lowry will appear in almost every top five. This guy is every positive synonym you could assign to a basketball player: Fiery. Bullish. Fearless. Intense. Unstoppable. In only a few short years, he has almost single-handedly exorcised the ghosts of the Raptors' past. Every star who shone here disappeared before long, leaving us scrambling towards another rebuild. But not Lowry. He has embraced Toronto. He has assimilated with it. He practically is a Canadian in our eyes. Look no further than what's happening in the league right now: fighting flu symptoms, he nailed a franchise record 22 points in one quarter to mount a comeback win. To put it simply, Kyle Lowry puts everything on the line to win. How could we ask for anything more?
