With second half set to begin, Blue Jays are riding high atop AL East standings

Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger (47) is congratulated on a home run by his teammates during Major League Baseball action against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Toronto on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

TORONTO — With 55 victories and a two-game cushion atop the American League East, the Toronto Blue Jays are on track for a worst-to-first rebound this season.

The team has had significant contributions from unexpected sources while some big names have not performed up to expectations. Injuries have also been an issue but backups have often shone with the opportunity.

Here’s a look at five things to watch ahead of the unofficial start of the second half of the season on Friday night.

PLAYOFF PUSH

Never mind the wild-card series. The Blue Jays are aiming for a top-two finish in the AL standings and a direct berth in the divisional round.

Entering Friday’s series opener against the visiting San Francisco Giants, Toronto is just one game behind the West Division-leading Houston Astros and 3 1/2 games behind the Central Division-leading Detroit Tigers.

If the post-season started today, Toronto would be the top wild-card seed and host the Seattle Mariners in a best-of-three play-in round.

The wild-card series has not been kind to Toronto in recent years. The Blue Jays, who missed the playoffs with a 74-88 record last season, were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays (2020), Seattle Mariners (2022) and Minnesota Twins (2023) in their last three post-season appearances.

Toronto hasn’t won a playoff game since reaching the AL Championship Series in 2016.

SPRING SURGE

After a mediocre start to the season, the Blue Jays have come on strong over the last two months.

Toronto has posted a 39-21 record (.650 winning percentage) since May 8 and has led the major leagues in several offensive categories over that stretch.

The Blue Jays have won 13 of their last 17 games and 29 of their last 42.

BATTER UP

Addison Barger, Eric Lauer, Nathan Lukes, Ernie Clement and Brendon Little have emerged as key players for the Blue Jays this season.

Barger is second on the team with 13 homers while Lukes is hitting .276 with a .371 OBP. Clement has a .288 average and offers strong defence with positional versatility.

Lauer, meanwhile, has become a reliable member of the starting rotation. With a 4-2 record and 2.78 ERA, the journeyman southpaw helped filled the void when Max Scherzer was out with a thumb issue.

Little (4-1, 2.03 ERA) leads the squad with 45 appearances and has held opponents to a .184 average.

BIG GUNS

Bounce-back seasons from George Springer (.270 BA, 16 homers, 53 RBIs) and Bo Bichette (.282 BA, 12 homers, 53 RBIs) have helped restore some pop to Toronto’s offence.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who signed a 14-year, US$500-million extension in April, has been steady if unspectacular while Alejandro Kirk has blossomed in a full-time catcher role.

Those successes have helped mitigate some of the challenges the team has faced due to injury and underperformance.

Slugger Anthony Santander (shoulder) struggled mightily before landing on the injured list. Second baseman Andres Gimenez (ankle), centre-fielder Daulton Varsho (hamstring) and setup man Yimi Garcia (ankle) are some of the other notable names on the IL.

The Blue Jays could get a boost as early as next month if right-hander Alek Manoah (elbow surgery) continues his progression after elbow surgery. He finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2022.

COMING UP

Toronto will close out its six-game homestand next week with a big three-game series against the second-place New York Yankees.

That will be followed by a four-game set in Detroit against the Tigers, who lead the major leagues at 59-38.

Blue Jays fans will also be keen to see if general manager Ross Atkins can swing some deals ahead of the MLB trade deadline on July 31.

Toronto will close out its regular season on Sept. 28 against Tampa Bay.

The Blue Jays have an 83.4-per cent chance of making the playoffs, per FanGraphs projections. The website gives Toronto a 37.1-per cent chance of winning the East and a 4.6-per cent shot at winning its first World Series title since 1993.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2025.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press