"Although the pieces from those trades had something to do with those conversations, the playoff talk came into play largely because of the season Edwin Encarnación was putting together. Encarnación had already become one of Toronto's best hitters in the early 2010s alongside his home run mate José Bautista. He had a combined 78 home runs between the 2012 and 2013 campaigns, including his first All-Star nod and a handful of down-ballot MVP votes."
"Encarnación's 2014 season didn't get off to a great start; he hit just .228 with a .700 OPS through his first 32 games of the season. However, he would go on a historical run in May, hitting 16 home runs, 33 RBIs, five doubles, one triple, and 16 walks. It garnered him an American League Player of the Month award, as well as one American League Player of the Week award from the second week of that month."
A pair of major trades in winter 2012 positioned the Blue Jays to compete for postseason baseball for the first time since 1993. Playoff conversations intensified largely because of Edwin Encarnación's breakout 2014 performance. Encarnación emerged as one of Toronto's top hitters alongside José Bautista, hitting 78 combined home runs in 2012–2013 and earning an All-Star nod and down-ballot MVP votes. After a slow start in 2014, Encarnación produced a historic May with 16 home runs, 33 RBIs, and 16 walks, winning American League Player of the Month and boosting his season numbers substantially.
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