Toronto Blue Jays: 4 People Who Need to Step Up Right Now

It is no secret that the Toronto Blue Jays have struggled so far this June. At the end of May, they had a record of 27-24 and sat just two games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East.

We are now almost at the midway point of June, and Toronto is a game under the .500 mark at 31-32. The Blue Jays have an embarrassing 4-8 record this month and sit six games back of the division lead.

Several things need to change if Toronto wants to get back on track. Here are four members of the organization who need to step up if they want to be playing in October.

Ricky Romero

Contrary to popular opinion, Toronto ace Ricky Romero has not been that bad this season. In his 13 starts Romero has picked up seven wins and only one loss.

The two things that stand out are his ERA (4.15) and his WHIP (1.55). While these are not great numbers, some of it has to do with poor managing and biased umpiring.

Even so, those two things should not be primary excuses. With Brandon Morrow on the DL and Kyle Drabek leaving his most recent start with an elbow issue, Romero must step up for the time being.

Yunel Escobar

Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar has not had the greatest year so far. Both his batting average and on-base percentage are down over 50 points from last season, and he has been visibly frustrated both on the field and at the plate.

Toronto has a record of 4-6 in their past 10 games, and during that time Escobar has had only eight hits in 36 at-bats.

Generally your shortstop is supposed to be a team leader, but it has not seemed that way this season with all the hype surrounding Brett Lawrie. It is time for Escobar to step up at the plate and take charge of the infield.

Kelly Johnson

The second half of the middle infield, second baseman Kelly Johnson, has not lived up the expectations that the organization and the fans had for him in 2012.

Like Escobar, Johnson has struggled at the plate this season, specifically in the past 10 games where he has just nine hits in 41 at-bats.

Toronto gave up both Aaron Hill and John McDonald to acquire Johnson in 2011. I am not expecting him to hit .300 or blast 30 home runs, but he is a player that needs to step up or be put on the trading block.

John Farrell

As much as I like John Farrell, he really has not been doing the team many favors this season. He is constantly leaving his starters in for too long, and it does not seem like he has any sort of plan for the bullpen. Pitchers' numbers are inflated, and his decisions have cost the Blue Jays more runs than they have produced.

Aside from pitching, there have been several occasions where he has not defended his players on bad calls made by the umpires. Instead of trying to talk to them, he has let them go back out on defense and fumble a ball or make a poor throw.

Giving the players some space is understandable, but, when managing a young team like the Blue Jays, there are going to be times when you have to step in and say something.