Blue Jays receive playoff hype in FanSided's latest MLB Power Rankings

Having gone 12-8 since the trade deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays have somewhat miraculously pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and played competitive baseball even after selling off some key veteran pieces. It's hard to shake the "too little, too late" feeling around this run, but this is easily some of the best baseball this team has played all year.

And now, they're getting some well-deserved recognition for this impressive stretch. FanSided has slotted the Blue Jays at No. 15 in their latest MLB power rankings, commending the work done by the rotation and offense in recent weeks. They also ended their section on Toronto suggesting that, in a weak American League, it'd be wise to bet on the reigning pennant winners.

As things stand, the AL East is probably too far gone, but the Wild Card race remains legitimately in the Jays' reach.

Blue Jays have the momentum, favorable schedule to keep climbing power rankings down the stretch

If there's any reason to believe in this team at the moment, it's that the stars are finally playing like stars. Alejandro Kirk (181 wRC+, 1.4fWAR) and Andrés Giménez (seven steals, .703 OPS) have been veteran leaders in the lineup, paving the way for younger players like Charles McAdoo (.436 slugging percentage) and Brett Bateman (107 wRC+) to burst onto the scene in August.

The offense as a whole has left something to be desired -- the Blue Jays rank middle of the pack in runs scored and wRC+ this month -- but thanks to great baserunning and defense, position players on the roster have racked up the 10th-most fWAR in the league since the trade deadline (3.2).

And that's before we even get the pitching staff involved in the mix. The "Big 3" of Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, and José Soriano has been unparalleled since they were put together, pitching to a combined 3.06 ERA over 70.2 innings. As impossible as it seemed once Kevin Gausman was dealt (and Trey Yesavage went down with injury), the Blue Jays' rotation is currently one of the best in baseball. As a whole, Toronto ranks 10th in ERA (3.53) following the trade deadline.

It's also important to note that they've had to survive a gauntlet to get to this point, winning series against the Astros, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays in August. From here on out, the Blue Jays won't play a single team that's currently over .500, as the Cleveland Guardians are the lone playoff squad remaining on the schedule.

With that kind of favorable month all that's left between them and the playoffs, No. 15 might be the lowest we see the Jays in any power rankings for the rest of the season.

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