Toronto Blue Jays: Why a .500 Record in June Would Be a Positive

Nine games into June, and it's been another inconsistent start to a month for the Blue Jays.

In fact, Jays fans should be both comforted and frustrated by the fact that this team never seems to deviate too far from the .500 mark.

The Jays' record has sat between .500 and five games above that mark all season long, and it will stay in that range for at least a few more games.

After Jays fans were anticipating a potential playoff run this season (especially with the newly added second wild card position in each league), this team's inability to string together a few wins without losing a few consecutive games shortly thereafter has been nothing short of disappointing.

After all, a team that consistently manages 11-game sets of seven wins and four losses will be more successful in the long run than a team who can win five in a row, followed by losing four of their next five.

Baseball is a marathon. If a team is going to compete for the postseason, they need to win consistently and hope to avoid the injury bug (something the Jays have been very lucky with thus far).

This month, however, if the Jays are able to post a record similar to their April mark of 12-11 or 15-13 (their record from the month of May), it should actually be considered an accomplishment.

This is because their competition this month is extremely tough.

The Jays have managed to post a record of 4-5 through nine games in June.

Consider that these nine games were played against the Boston Red Sox (who were on a 14-6 run to end the month of May), the Chicago White Sox (who are the Central division leaders), and the Atlanta Braves (who had won six of their previous seven matchups heading into their home series with Toronto).

Now look ahead to the Blue Jays' upcoming schedule. It doesn't get any easier.

The Jays will open a three-game set tonight at home against the National League East leading Washington Nationals, followed by a weekend series against the always dangerous Philadelphia Phillies (they may not be the Phillies of years past, but with guys like Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in their rotation, nothing is ever a given).

Then it's time for Toronto to hit the road to wrap up interleague play, when they travel to Milwaukee to play the Brewers (this may be Toronto's only series that they'll be favored to win), and the Miami Marlins, who have lost six straight, but are still two games above the .500 mark.

A trip to Fenway for another series with the archrival Red Sox, and the first three games of a four game set against an Angels team that has gone 14-4 over their last 18, will close out June for the Blue Jays.

With the level of competition being so tough for the rest of the month, if Toronto can end up going .500 for the month, fans shouldn't just be satisfied—they should be overjoyed.

Furthermore, being able to beat these teams as often as they beat the Jays would prove that Toronto can play, and beat, the best teams, which would put the rest of the league on notice that the Blue are contenders in the American League East.

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