Forget AL East crown, Blue Jays taking aim at top of AL or MLB

National Post

3 days ago

The Blue Jays woke up on Monday in first place in the American League East, preparing to defend that honour with another three-game series against the New York Yankees.
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And as crazy as it sounds, retaining that placing could be the least of their goals, given their recent surging success.
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Yes, as they prepare for their 100th game of a season rapidly steaming to the most important stretch, the Jays have the second-best record in the American League and almost incredibly, the fourth-best in all of Major League Baseball.
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Yes, the sudden, scintillating rise through the standings as they approach being two thirds through the season has manager John Schneider's team in position for much more than its first division title in a decade.
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And yes, when the Jays attempt to set the franchise record with an 11th consecutive home win on Monday night against Aaron Judge and the Bronx Bombers, there are heady, higher aspirations within their reach.
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Perhaps getting comfortable and more confident with the division lead – where they've sat for the past 19 days now – another series win against the Yanks would entrench that status and increase the three-game margin currently in place.
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But here's where things get seriously enticing for the Jays, who with that 58-41 are now hot on the heels of the only team better than them in the American League, the Detroit Tigers, who at 60-40 lead the AL Central.
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Chasing down the Tigers for the league lead has huge benefit come post season but even the No. 2 seed is of huge significance, should the Jays be able to retain it through the remaining 63 games. To get a bye through the wildcard round that has yielded such crushing disappointment the previous two times they participated in the post season, is a potentially huge development.
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With so much of the season remaining, there could be a temptation to pump the brakes on some of the most exuberant enthusiasm. There is surely a downturn to come at some point, though it feels as though the Jays are better equipped to deal with a slump than they've been in a while.
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There are health concerns and persistent needs for the top half of the order to contribute offensively in a more meaningful way. And pitching wise, there will be a need for reinforcements.
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But countering any of those doubts is the way the Jays have reached their current spot and the growing sense of something special developing within a resilient group that is finding ways to win in multiple ways.
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And here's where what happens off of the field over the next 10 days matters in a large way. With a fired-up fan base, a united clubhouse and a team that seems to be relishing the intangibles of what a winning team feels like, it's on general manager Ross Atkins to enhance what's happening in a meaningful way.