Could Jays steal playoff spot?

This is the third straight week that the Toronto Blue Jays have been in the top 10 in the ESPN Power Rankings. They rank eighth this week, and the lowest they have ranked in any week this season has been 12th. But even though the team resides so high in the rankings, it's possible that the Blue Jays are still underrated, and combined with the slower-than-expected starts from the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, this might be the season that Toronto steals a playoff spot.

There have been a few Blue Jays, such as Edwin Encarnacion, Kelly Johnson, Brandon Morrow and Henderson Alvarez, who have exceeded expectations thus far. But most of the team's regular players have room for improvement. For example, 16.3 percent of all the fly balls that Toronto pitchers have allowed have gone for home runs, the highest rate in the majors.

To read more of Paul Swydan's article on the Blue Jays, become an Insider today.

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