This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson's Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

I'm a proud and biased Nova Scotian, so I've always believed that things get a little worse the further you stray from the East Coast.

After this past week, the Blue Jays agree.

Toronto went 1-6 on its recent West Coast swing through Oakland and Seattle, dropping a series to the lowly A’s before taking a sweep at the hands of the Mariners. With nine losses in their past 10 games, the Blue Jays have to hope that this represents rock bottom for the 2022 season with a rebound to come.

Entering Tuesday’s homestead at 45-42, even the Orioles -- who are earning respect around the league with their recent hot streak -- are gaining quickly on the Blue Jays. The Wild Card race is growing more crowded, too, so the Blue Jays need to find themselves, and fast.

It’s baseball, so there’s still plenty of time. The Aug. 2 Trade Deadline looms and grows more important by the day for the Blue Jays, who need to bolster their bullpen and rotation depth with multiple pieces. Before and beyond Aug. 2, though, the Blue Jays need more from within.

These three players have the ability to kick-start the struggling Blue Jays, who are suddenly feeling a sense of urgency entering mid-July.

SS Bo Bichette
This isn’t just about Bichette’s talent, but his spot in the lineup.

As Toronto’s regular No. 2 hitter, Bichette is batting .259 with a .301 on-base percentage, which hasn’t created enough opportunities for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Teoscar Hernández and Alejandro Kirk behind him. Last season, as an All-Star, Bichette hit .298 with a .343 on-base percentage.

Bichette’s aggressive approach means he’ll likely never be a high on-base hitter, which is fine. When he’s at his best, that aggression is what makes him special. Balls haven’t been finding holes as often, though, which has also cut into Bichette’s ability to use his speed on the bases, an underrated tool of his. After stealing 25 bags in 26 attempts last season, Bichette is just 5-for-10 in ’22.

There’s no doubting Bichette’s talent, and few Blue Jays log more hours at the ballpark than the 24-year-old. Bichette looked fantastic in Spring Training and had the Blue Jays’ staff buzzing, so this should only be a matter of time, but the Blue Jays need the top of this lineup to find a new gear very soon.

3B Matt Chapman
Chapman’s numbers have stayed close to his ’21 stats from a down year in Oakland, but the third baseman has looked inches away from a breakout so often this season. Frankly, luck hasn’t always been on Chapman’s side, given the number of hard lineouts and fly balls to the warning track.

Eventually, something’s got to give at the plate. Currently hitting .219 with a .293 OBP, even a .250 mark with a .330 OBP the rest of the way would make a significant difference for this lineup. Even hitting in the bottom half, there are some fine bats behind Chapman most nights in this lineup.

Chapman has been excellent defensively, as he always is, but he and Bichette highlight a lineup issue. This group seems close and continues to have major moments every other week that suggest a full-squad breakout is coming, but it hasn’t all come together just yet. Pitching remains the biggest problem this club is facing, but once the offense gets rolling, some of those ugly outings will be easier to ignore.

RHP José Berríos
For my dollar, Berríos is the most important member of this roster the rest of the way.

If Berríos continues to pitch to a 5.44 ERA, the Blue Jays will be forced to lean heavily on Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman while hoping for the best in between. That’s not how World Series teams operate.

If Berríos recaptures his form, though, pitching more like the steady 3.52 ERA we saw last year between the Twins and Blue Jays, this entire conversation changes. That would stabilize the rotation, save the bullpen some serious headaches and simplify the Blue Jays’ needs ahead of the deadline. It’s been a rocky season for Berríos, but from ’17 to ’21, few pitchers in the game were more consistent. His track record was exceptional, which is what makes his first 17 starts so surprising.

Unlike Yusei Kikuchi, who was struggling to locate the strike zone, Berríos has found too much of it at times. The 18 home runs Berríos has allowed are tied for the most in the American League (Bruce Zimmermann, BAL), but much like Bichette and Chapman, there’s reason to believe this should turn around soon. The Blue Jays just need “soon” to mean this week.