Blue Jays by the numbers: Five things from the first half

It took a second half run for the ages last season for the Blue Jays to get into playoffs. As thrilling as it was, though, it's best not to leave it so late again. So far, so good, with these five areas from the first half that indicate they should be recognized as contenders in the American League.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

At 51-40 the Blue Jays have their best record at the All-Star break since 1992, when they were 53-34. Of course, they went on to win their first of back-to-back World Series later that year.

There is, however, one major difference. While they had a four-game lead in the division in 1992, Toronto is tied with the Boston Red Sox for second in the AL East this season, trailing the first-place Baltimore Orioles by two games, but good enough for a wild-card spot.

COUNTING STARS

Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, Marco Estrada, Michael Saunders, and Aaron Sanchez are headed to the All-Star game, giving the Blue Jays their most All-Stars since 2006. The only year Toronto had more All-Stars representatives was in 1993, when they had seven. Anything that harkens back to 1992 or 1993 is a good sign for future success.

BACK-TO-BACK?

Donaldson was named AL MVP last season and he’s somehow managed to raise the bar for himself, becoming the sixth AL player with at least 80 runs scored and 20 home runs at the All-Star break. The other five are among the greatest players in the history of baseball: Lou Gehrig (1936), Ted Williams (1946), Reggie Jackson (1969), Frank Thomas (1994), and Alex Rodriguez (2000). Needless to say, that’s some exceptional company to be keeping and puts him in position to repeat as MVP.

STARTING STRONG

Good starting pitching is the most valued commodity in the game, and the Blue Jays have certainly gotten that in the first half. Toronto’s starters have combined to pitch 579 1/3 innings and post a 3.64 ERA, both which lead the AL. Not too bad for a staff that features two youngsters (Sanchez, Marcus Stroman), two late-bloomers (Estrada, J.A. Happ), and a knuckleballer (R.A. Dickey).

ROOTING FOR THE HOME TEAM

Many Blue Jays players credited the boisterous crowds that packed Rogers Centre over the final two months of the 2015 season for giving them a boost on the field. They haven't had to wait for the ballpark to fill up this year. Toronto's average home attendance of 39,274 is fourth in the major leagues and tops in the AL and shows that if you build a winner, fans will come.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr