4 biggest question marks the second-half Blue Jays will have

When it comes to professional sports, it's often a case of perception being reality. The Blue Jays are a classic example of this.

On the one hand, the Blue Jays entered the All-Star Break in a wild card spot. In addition, their 50-41 record is better than at the same time last year, albeit just by virtue of two fewer losses (50-43).

At the same time however, the Blue Jays' record is still perceived as underwhelming, especially when considering the talent on the seventh-highest payroll in the Majors. In addition, their hold on the third and final AL wild card spot is extremely tenuous.

In this respect, there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the ballclub. We consider four questions, where the answers will help determine if they will be a playoff team come the end of the regular season:

How will they fill out the rotation?

The Blue Jays' rotation has been quietly effective so far in 2023. They are tied-eighth in the Majors with a 3.98 ERA and tied-10th with a .244 opposing batting average.

One factor helping this, is the rotation's durability. Not a single start has been missed due to injury, resulting in the Blue Jays ranking fifth with a combined 499.2 innings.

What makes the overall productivity even more impressive, is that the Blue Jays have achieved all this without a reliable fifth option. This has mostly been down to Alek Manoah's unexpected implosion, along with no experienced quality backup options.

Moving forward, there is still uncertainty surrounding the rotation. Chris Bassitt has been erratic of late, and there is still some concern -- no matter how unfair -- that Yusei Kikuchi could revert to his unreliable self at any point.

Yes, Manoah looked strong in his first start since returning to the Majors, but it was just against the Tigers. It is still unclear if he will return to last year's All-Star form, or pitch more like this season's disastrous version.

Another option could potentially be Hyun-jin Ryu, who is currently going through rehab assignments in the Minors. However, pending his return, how much can you count on a pitcher who has been a significant disappointment for the majority of his Blue Jays tenure?

With all this said, the best move might still be to consider any one of a number of trade options prior to the Aug. 1 deadline. There's certainly some intriguing starters to target, including Shane Bieber, Eduardo Rodríguez and maybe even a certain Marcus Stroman.

Will they play better against the AL East?

In some respects, the Blue Jays' position in the standings can be considered somewhat of a minor miracle. Especially when you consider their record versus the AL East.

In fact, the Blue Jays' record within their own division could ultimately be their downfall. Their 7-20 record versus the rest of the AL East is easily the worst in the division. (The Yankees are actually second-worst, at 13-17.)

The theory was that playing the rest of the AL East less -- 19 games versus each team reduced to 13 -- was meant to represent an advantage. The reality however, has been much different.

Each of the five teams in the AL East have benefited, as evidenced by all having a record above .500. Often regarded as the strongest division in the Majors, it tells you a lot when the Red Sox sit in last place with a 48-43 record.

The Blue Jays have been excellent outside the divison, as per their 67.2 winning percentage. However, they quite simply have to get better against the AL East, in order to ensure a playoff spot.

Heck, if the Blue Jays had even been nearly average so far versus their division, i.e. 13-14, it would make all the difference. At 56-35, they would be hot on the heels of the Rays (58-35) for the best record in the AL.

Regardless, moving forward the Blue Jays have 25 games remaining against the rest of the AL East. This includes the final 15 games overall on their regular season schedule, meaning their fate will still likely be determined versus their divisional rivals.

Does John Schneider have what it takes?

In some respects, this could be construed as an unfair question. As the great Bob McCown has said repeatedly over the years, a manager's influence during a game is minimal; it's down to the players to perform.

Regardless, there is still a pressure on John Schneider to get the team playing to the best of their abilities - and on a more consistent basis. While we're not suggesting he's on the hot seat per se, the buck ultimately stops with him, because you can't fire an entire team if it all goes South.

Working in favor of the 43-year-old is his strong relationship with the players; he is an excellent communicator and well-liked. This helped limit the fallout after the series loss to the Rays back in May, when some players weren't impressed by him discussing a players-only meeting with the media.

As much as McCown and others may downplay a manager's importance during games, they still matter as the decision-maker in key moments. As Jays Journal's Edward Eng wrote earlier this month, Schneider has made his fair share of questionable decisions so far this year.

One of the biggest challenges facing the Princeton, New Jersey native, is helping the players be more mentally attuned and disciplined. Among other things, this includes the aforementioned issues with runners in scoring position, and allowing too many stolen bases (third-most in the AL).

Admittedly, a lot of this may be perceived as negative towards Schneider. It doesn't help, that one of the most talented rosters in the Majors has underachieved overall up to this point of the 2023 season.

As such, it should be noted that after starting the year 26-25, the Blue Jays have since gone 24-16 and for this, Schneider deserves his fair share of credit. Now, it's a case of proving he has what it takes to help the team continue to win more consistently.