TORONTO - At the baseball season's midway point, the Toronto Blue Jays find themselves hovering near the playoff cutline after a rather underwhelming first half.

Bigger things were expected from a team that's in win-now mode but has been unable to break out. There have been pleasant surprises and big disappointments over a schedule that should be a little easier in the second half.

"I feel very good about the potential of this team playing even better," Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Wednesday. "Obviously you'd love to be at the top of the division and have a better record.

"But I feel like we're standing in a solid position."

Toronto, which took a 43-37 mark into Wednesday night's game against San Francisco, appears to be moving in the right direction.

Entering play against the Giants — Game 81 of 162 — the Blue Jays were 17-12 (.586) over their last 29 games, tied for the best record in the American League over that span.

"We have a positive trend now," Atkins said. "You keep putting yourself in a position to score runs and you're going to. We have done that. We're playing better defence. We're running the bases much better. We're doing a decent job of preventing runs.

"If we stay on that trend, we're going to win more games."

Toronto was 18-10 through late March and April but just 11-17 in May. The team's quality of play picked up in June, but the impact has been minimal with such strong competition in the East Division.

At times, Toronto has been fighting to stay out of last place rather than make a charge up the standings.

"It's consistently been inconsistent," said Toronto manager John Schneider. "I think that when you have players performing up to their expectations and our own expectations internally, that's where I think the better baseball will be played consistently."

The Blue Jays were one game better at this point last year and went on to win 92 games and secure a wild-card berth.

Entering Wednesday's games, the Blue Jays were a half-game out of a wild-card spot and 10 games behind first-place Tampa Bay.

Team defence and baserunning have improved thanks in part to the additions of outfielders Kevin Kiermaier and Daulton Varsho. AL hits leader Bo Bichette has anchored an offence that has plenty of pop but still struggles to convert opportunities with runners on base.

The team's biggest hole was caused by the demotion of right-hander Alek Manoah. Once considered a staff ace, he's trying to rebuild his game in the minors after struggling to a 1-7 mark.

His absence has forced the use of a temporary four-man rotation with bullpen days as needed. Kevin Gausman is enjoying another strong year, Chris Bassitt has been decent while Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi have bounced back after off-years in 2022.

Pitching help appears to be on the way. Hyun Jin Ryu and Chad Green are on pace to return later this summer after undergoing Tommy John operations last year.

It's very early, but Toronto has a 4.2-per-cent chance of winning the East and a 54.6-per-cent chance of securing an AL wild-card berth, per FanGraphs.

A top-two finish in the AL is needed to secure a direct berth in the AL Division Series. The four other AL playoff teams — seeded No. 3 through No. 6 — will play in wild-card series for the other ALDS spots.

Toronto was swept in the wild-card round in 2020 and 2022. The Blue Jays last won the World Series in 1993.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2023.

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News from © The Canadian Press, 2023