AL Playoff Standings paint easiest picture ever for Blue Jays resurgence

The Toronto Blue Jays have teased their fans this season. Over the first six weeks of the year the Blue Jays have a 16-21 record. Even with a run differential of -22, the Blue Jays have put themselves in a position to win most of the games. The problem hasn't really been getting blown out by other teams, although that has happened a few times, the problem has been not being consistent enough with the bats.

They have their moments. They have guys hitting well. But not all of it is coming together for a significant stretch of time. Their best results came over a 13 game stretch in which they went 9-4 between Apr. 21-May 2. They outscored their opponents 52-41 and got their record to 16-17. They have since lost four in a row, yet despite being five games under .500 and nine games behind the New York Yankees for the division lead - the Blue Jays aren't the only team in the American League that is struggling.

In fact, only two teams in the entire AL can say that they are having a good start to the season and that's the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. Unfortunately, the Yankees (25-12) and the Rays (24-12) both play in Toronto's division, but with the Wild Card spots in play, the Blue Jays' biggest competition this season may be everyone else in the league since nobody else is even over .500.

Blue Jays already eyeing a Wild Card spot, but so is everyone else

If the playoffs were to begin today the AL Central would go to the 19-19 Cleveland Guardians. The AL West would belong to the West Sacramento Athletics who are 18-18. Tampa would take the first Wild Card spot, while the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers, both 18-20, round out the final two spots.

The playoffs are a long, long way away from now. All this means is the Blue Jays have been afforded the unusual luxury of not having to panic at this point. Injuries have been a detriment to this teams' chances of success in the early going, but at some point, the guys who are healthy have to find a way to get it done. Manager John Schneider has said as much in recent days.

“It's not just going to happen. We're not just going to go out there and go on a crazy winning streak. We have to go make that happen. The rest of the league doesn't just lose on purpose. You’ve got to go beat them," he said to reporters following Toronto's frustrating 3-0 loss to the Rays on Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s not Vlad (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), it's not Kaz (Kazuma Okamoto), it's not George (Springer), it has to be everybody… the quality up and down, one through nine of the at bats, just needs to be a bit more in depth, if you will. There were some quick outs there. You can't fall back on the excuse that guys are hurt. It’s part of the game. So you got to just be relentless. You have to not try to do too much, then you get back to forming an identity, which I think we formed last year.”

Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, last year will start feeling more and more like a distant memory the longer this continues.

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