Hope for the Blue Jays This Season April 7, 2012, 4:29 pm Over time, a player who struggles to reach base does not help his team. Too many years with a .282 on-base percentage, as Toronto Blue Jays catcher J. P. Arencibia posted as a rookie last season, and the player will not last long. But on opening day, Arencibia showed with one swing why on-base percentage is not the only important measure of a player's value. In the 16th inning in Cleveland, Arencibia failed in an attempt to bunt over two runners. Forced to swing away, he showed off his power, clubbing a home run that propelled Toronto to a 7-4 victory in the longest opening-day game in major league history. Arencibia, who hit 23 homers last season, guides a rotation that looks thin and will face a tough test in the American League East. But with a strong offense and an extra playoff berth available this season, the Blue Jays could contend for their first postseason appearance of the wild-card era. They went 24-7 in spring training, the best record in baseball. "From top to bottom in our lineup, I think everyone is very capable of hitting 20 home runs, which is pretty special," Arencibia said last month. We revamped our bullpen; we've got guys with lots of experience and really good stuff, which shortens the game. And our starting rotation, all those guys got great stuff. As for the extra wild-card spot, Arencibia said he was not thinking about it. "I don't play for the last ticket," he said. I play for the big one.