Blue Jays by the numbers: Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Mark Buehrle selected to All-Star Game

The Blue Jays are on a bit of a slide of late but they're still in the thick of the AL East race as the season approaches next week's All-Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis, where the Jays will be represented by three deserving candidates: Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and Mark Buehrle.

OF JOSE BAUTISTA (Fifth selection)

Bautista is headed to his fifth consecutive All-Star Game and was voted in as a starter for the fourth time. In the midst of his best season since 2011, Bautista has the best OBP in the AL and has drawn more walks than anyone in the majors. The power numbers aren't quite at the level they were at when he started his run of All-Star appearances, but there's no doubt Bautista is one of the game's most productive performers at the plate.

1B EDWIN ENCARNACION (Second selection)

Encarnacion has emerged as one of baseball's most dangerous power hitters and has been rewarded with his second career trip to the Midsummer Classic. After banging out just two home runs in April, he has hit 24 in his last 51 games. Unfortunately, Encarnacion won't play in the game due to the quadriceps injury that forced him out of Saturday's game in Oakland and will keep him out for at least two more weeks.

SP MARK BUEHRLE (Fifth selection)

The veteran left-hander has been a pleasant surprise for Toronto this season and has been named an All-Star for the first time since 2009. Buehrle's case goes beyond artificial pitcher wins. His 2.60 ERA would be the best mark of his exceptional career and he's been succesful without having the explosive stuff many of his fellow All-Stars possess. Among qualified AL starting pitchers, only Blue Jays teammate R.A. Dickey has a slower average fastball velocity than Buehrle. He might not throw hard, but he 35-year-old Buehrle is proving that he still has the goods.

Check out the rest of the 2014 All-Star rosters.

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