8 Toronto Blue Jays Who Will Be Fantasy Weapons in the Second Half

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The Toronto Blue Jays are in last place in the AL East. In most cases that would be a terrible outcome but playing .500 baseball in this division is pretty good.

The Blue Jays have had countless injuries primarily to their pitching staff, yet are still easily within range for the wild-card spot.

Although the team hasn't had as much success as they had hoped, they still have some studs on this squad.

Here is a list of eight players on the Jays who will be fantasy weapons in the second half.

Jose Bautista

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As you might expect, JoeyBats will be geared up for another monster second half.

JB is on pace for more than 100 runs, 50 HR and 125 RBI.

Although his average has been poor all season, I expect him to hit much higher than .244 in the second half.

Will he lead the league in HRs for another season? He is primed to do so.

Edwin Encarnacion

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As great as Edwin has been there is still something about him that worries me.

Since this time last season he has been on a tear.

Don’t forget that his first half last season consisted of a .283 OBP and 19 RBI. His value will never be higher and I think GM Alex Anthopoulos would be wise to move him.

Edwin is on pace for 40-plus HR, 110-plus RBI, 100-plus runs and 16-plus SB which, as you would assume, are way past his career highs.

I hope the fact that he isn’t an All-Star doesn’t deter him because he is more than deserving.

Ricky Romero

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In my pre-season evaluation of the Blue Jays I stated that Romero would struggle this season and see a decrease in his numbers.

It is evident that he is struggling, but that doesn't mean he can't have a solid second half.

He needs to get his walks in check, he only has 22 less walks than he did throughout all of last season.

No team can compete when their ace has a 5.22 ERA, but he is a career 22-12 in the second half and gained momentum last season (2.72 ERA 1.02 WHIP in the second half).

Expect Romero to bounce back and become a fantasy asset once again. Great buy-low candidate.

Casey Janssen

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Janssen has been a pleasant surprise for those who snatched him up off the wire.

What was supposed to be an interim closer tag seems more and more to be permanent due to his success and Santos' continual setbacks.

Funny thing is, this shouldn't surprise anyone as Janssen has been a solid reliever for years.

His 0.86 WHIP is outstanding and he has yet to blow a save since donning the closer tag and has only let up runs in two of his games since April 26.

Expect Janssen to be among the top AL relievers in the second half.

Colby Rasmus

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Many Jays fans are overjoyed with how well Rasmus has played since grabbing hold of the No. 2 spot in the batting order.

Colby is on pace for 30-plus HR and 100-plus RBI, but as I said he has only hit in front of Bautista for less than half of the first half so expect his runs, avg etc. to only improve (has hit .295 since May 21).

Rasmus and Lawrie provide an excellent one-two punch ahead of JB and EE.

Brett Lawrie

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Lawrie has probably not met pre-season expectations, especially with the darling time he had at Dunedin (.524 AVG, 1.344 OPS).

As mentioned in the previous slide, Lawrie has played well in the leadoff spot. As a leadoff hitter, his runs will undoubtedly increase (currently on pace for over 100 runs) as will his stolen bases, and his avg could creep into the .300 territory.

Lawrie’s power will come and he should finish the season with 20-plus HR, making him a great candidate to have a big second half.

The main thing holding him back is the fact that he has never played a full season in the bigs and that could drain him especially with his 125 percent effort on every play.

Brandon Morrow

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Morrow was a shoo-in for the all-star game before he got injured. Morrow has finally made some big strides now that he is comfortable in the rotation and he knows that his position is secure.

Morrow will most likely return to the rotation in mid to late July and should quickly return to dominance.

For more insight on Morrow’s changes this season check my older piece.

Adam Lind

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An unlikely member of this list, Lind has definitely improved since being recalled from the minors.

If you have been watching the games, Lind has definitely altered his approach and looks very comfortable at the plate, as he is hitting the ball with conviction.

Since returning from the minors, Lind has a .999 OPS and is hitting .286. He has had a return of power and I think he could definitely be in line for a big second half.

If he is on the waiver wire he could be a great source of power and RBI in the second half.

Also, if the Jays decide to move Edwin, then he could return to the cleanup spot which will only improve his opportunities and his numbers.

Prediction: .274 AVG, 14 HR, 44 RBI, 41 Runs

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