RealGM

More often than not, when manager Cito Gaston sits down for his daily pre-game conversation with the press, it begins with a disclaimer.

"Now, I know you guys must be tired of hearing me say this," Gaston says, "but the success we've had is all because we're playing as a team."

As April comes to a close, the Jays are amassing some statistical evidence to support the manager's persistent assessment.

Going into last night's game, Toronto was leading the American League in wins (15), runs scored (133), batting average (.293), runs batted in (126), doubles (54) and total bases (381), yet the only player leading any of these categories was Aaron Hill, who has the most hits in the AL with 36.

The contributions to all those categories have come from up and down the lineup. For example, the Jays have eight players in double figures in RBIs after 22 games. They have six in double figures in runs, nine with 28 or more total bases and eight players with at least 15 hits. Six players are over .500 in slugging percentage and eight are above .350 in on-base percentage.

In short, the offensive production that general manager J.P. Ricciardi and his staff have been expecting the past three years has come en masse and it is still coming from every corner of the lineup.