Blue Jays AL East Recap: Jays soar into All-Star break

Each week, Jays Journal will take a look at the bigger picture of the AL East to help frame not only where the Blue Jays are in the standings, but why they are there.

Baltimore Orioles: 51-36
Boston Red Sox: 49-38
Toronto Blue Jays: 51-40
New York Yankees: 44-44
Tampa Bay Rays: 34-54

The Blue Jays entered the All-Star break on a high note after winning 6 of 7 games in the final week of the season’s first half. After sweeping the Royals, the Blue Jays came up with a series win against the Tigers in four games.

Over the course of the past week the Blue Jays saw solid offensive and defensive contributions from the entire team. Their starting pitching was as excellent as ever despite missing Marco Estrada at the beginning of the week.

One of the biggest revelations of late has been the bullpen. Since the nightmare 19-game marathon with the Indians the Blue Jays ‘pen has looked completely different. Solid production from Jesse Chavez, Bo Schultz, and Jason Grilli have helped turn the bullpen into a competent force, capable of holding on and winning games.

The Blue Jays will enter play after the All Star Game very much in the thick of it. They currently stand tied with the Boston Red Sox for second place in the division, and only two games behind the division leading Orioles. The Blue Jays needed to send a statement that they were here to stay, and they most certainly did that.

Toronto will also see Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Saunders, and Aaron Sanchez compete in the All-Star Game this week. Marco Estrada was voted in as well but will not participate.

Final Takeaway:

The Blue Jays remained every bit as relevant this week, proving they were more than capable of hanging tough with the division leaders. They enter the All-Star break as one of the hottest teams in baseball and will look to stay the course to start the second half.

Next: Orioles narrowly hold on

Baltimore holds on to lead
Baltimore Orioles: 51-36

The Baltimore Orioles enter the All-Star break with their lead in the division intact, albeit thinly. Despite winning both of their series’ this week against the Dodgers and Angels, the Orioles were unable to consolidate their status further with the Red Sox and Jays both surging.

The Orioles offence, though not quite as powerful as usual was able to get the job done for Baltimore. Backing this effort was their sturdy bullpen, as well as another two quality starts from ace Chris Tillman.

Baltimore will begin play with the Rays on Friday with only a two game lead in the division and they will need to work to dispatch these rivals in the week after the All-Star break. The Orioles taxed rotation should enjoy the time, and have the ability to come back next weekend rejuvenated and ready for the long haul.

The Orioles will undoubtedly be shopping for additional rotation help as we march ever closer towards the trade deadline.

Final Takeaway:

The Orioles held on to the division to end the first half of the season, though by a thinner margin than they had hoped. They will look for their rotation to settle down over the break, and hope the Jays and Red Sox cool down.

Next: Red Sox roll into ASG, too

Yankees ride even record into break
New York Yankees: 44-44

The New York Yankees clawed back from a series loss to the White Sox and narrowly took a four-game set from the Indians.

That put the Yankees back at .500 with an even record. The Yankees have spent the better part of a month finding their way to that same even record, and have yet to gain any ground on an increasingly tighter AL East race. New York has seen their rotation produce more consistently, and their offence roll, and yet have not been able to capitalize on it.

While the three teams above them all are riding high into the break, the Yankees will still have to do quite a bit of digging to get themselves back on track.

The Yankees will have just the opportunity after the break concludes, as they face a daunting homestead against the Red Sox, Orioles, and Giants. The All-Star break will give the Yankees much needed time to regroup and refuel, but the clock is ticking. With the three teams ahead of them in it to win it, the Yankees will very quickly have to prove they are ready to make it a four team race, rather than slide into the postseason in mediocrity.

Final Takeaway:

The Yankees will need to rebound quickly after the All-Star break to remain in the mix for the AL East. They will not long be afforded the opportunity to slide with an average record as the Yankees possess multiple sought-after trade pieces. If the Yankees continue to slide, they may find themselves as sellers at months end.

Next: Rays go silently into the break

Rays crawl into All Star Break
Tampa Bay Rays: 34-54

The Rays enter the All Star Break with their heads hung low. Despite showing remarkable talent at early in the season, the Rays quickly lost their way in a tough division and are now looking to regroup during the All-Star break.

Tampa Bay heads into the break 20 games below .500. The Rays will have to hope their luck rebounds quickly, as they face division-leading Baltimore to start the second half.

The first half ended in disaster for the Rays, who looked to be a keen contender in the early goings of the season. They will start play Friday with return of Gold Glover Kevin Kiermaier, and hope to get off to a fast start. The coming weeks could see the team in discussions to trade appetizing arms like Jake Odorizzi and Drew Smyly.

Next: Blue Jays eyeing pitcher Rich Hill?

Final Takeaway:

The Rays have a narrow window of opportunity to save their season. If they can come out of the gate swinging for the fences, they could decide to remain a little more neutral at the trade deadline. If not, the Rays have players that many contending teams could come calling for as they set their sights on the future.