For the first time in five years, apathy has set in among the Blue Jays fan base. With 66 games left in the season and the team 9.5 games out of a playoff spot, it’s hard to blame fans who have little-to-no interest in this ball club.

As far back as they are in the standings, the Blue Jays can’t lay down for those final 66 games, so there’s still something left to play for down the stretch. The individual development and debut of certain players should make this second half semi-watchable, at least.

One of the most intriguing players to watch on the Blue Jays in the second half is George Springer. Until June 24th, he was one of the worst hitters and baseball, and many were already writing the eulogy for the rest of his career.

In his last games, Springer has 5 home runs and a 1.146 OPS and is enjoying in one of his hottest streaks ever. So which version is he? It’s unlikely his recent clip is sustainable, so somewhere smack dab in the middle is probably the answer.

With two years left on his deal and heading into his age-35 season next year, he’s approaching the twilight of his playing days, but if he can turn it on in the second half, the Blue Jays have an interesting decision to make.

What seemed like an untradable contract could become movable if Springer increases his value here in the second half. Sure, the Blue Jays would need to pay down some of is $48.2 million remaining on his deal, but getting out from the back end of that contract would not only open up some playing time in the outfield, but allow Toronto to reconfigure their outfield in search of more power.

And if Springer comes back down to earth the rest of the season and posts respectable numbers, that’s okay, too. He still provides good defence in right field, but it’s debatable whether he should occupy a spot in the top of the order.

With injuries piling up and a lack of high-end prospects in the Blue Jays’ farm system, there aren’t many positional battles on the Blue Jays roster right now. If you’re healthy and can swing the bat, chances are you have a starting position spot on the Blue Jays.

Between Spencer Horwitz, Ernie Clement and Davis Schneider, the Buffalo Boys are going to eat up a lot of playing time in the second half of the season. The larger question is how they all factor into the long-term plans of this team.

Not that 80-some-odd games can predict the future, but by giving these players lots of runway, it can help determine whether they may be fixtures on this team over the next few years, or whether they’re just depth guys.

Horwitz is the most tantalizing of the trio, as he’s hit the ground running since returning to the Blue Jays in early June, playing out of position at second base, but entrenching himself as a top-of-the-order threat and an on-base machine. Is Horwitz’ the Blue Jays answer at second base for the foreseeable future?

Schneider and Clement are a little trickier; with almost a full year sample size under this belt, Schneider’s power numbers have fallen off significantly, hinting towards more of a utility role in the future. Clement’s a great defender and baserunner, but again, looks like a 25th or 26th man on the roster.

But given the playing time, maybe these guys will break out again and raise their stock in the second half, giving the front office a better picture of how they need to construct the roster in the offseason.

This one comes with a huge caveat, considering Ricky Tiedemann is on the shelf with forearm tightness. In the event he isn’t done for the season, there’s a glimmer of hope Tiedemann may finally make his Blue Jays debut.

Scott Mitchell of TSN reported today that there’s no structural damage in Tiedemann’s arm, which is good news, but there’s no set timeline for his return. Either way, it’s going to be a long road back and don’t expect to see Tiedemann back on a mound soon.

As one of the top 30 pre-season prospects in baseball and the number two left-handed pitching prospect in the game, Tiedemann’s arrival has been a long time coming. Drafted in 2021, he’s had numerous start-stop seasons due to injuries, and this year has been no different.

But even if it’s as a September call-up, it will be refreshing to see what the Blue Jays have in their top prospect pitching at the big league level.

It’s been a long time coming, not just this season, but Joey Votto’s long-awaited Major League debut with the Blue Jays may become a reality soon. Not that Votto getting called up is going to save the Blue Jays’ season, but it’s a good news story that needs to come to fruition.

Votto wouldn’t keep grinding away in these minor league stints unless this was important to him, as he could’ve pulled the parachute the second after he tripped over that bat in Spring Training. At 40 years old, he doesn’t need to do this, but he is doing this, which makes it that much more impressive.

And with the Blue Jays out of contention, I don’t think many will cry foul about Votto getting playing time over anybody else on the roster. That first crowd reaction at Rogers Centre with Joey Votto in the lineup is going to be magical, and it’s surely something Votto has envisioned this entire rehab stint.