Blue Jays youngsters proving their maturity and professionalism

While other MLB teams have struggled to get their players to follow protocols, the Blue Jays haven’t had an issue, despite the youth of the roster.

I imagine the Blue Jays will be greatly looking forward to getting back on the field against Atlanta this evening. Unfortunately the team had to be sidelined over the weekend as their series with the Philadelphia Phillies was postponed. The Phillies had played against the Miami Marlins last week, who had an outbreak of Covid-19 that affected half of their active roster, and there have been ramifications across the league.

Now that the St. Louis Cardinals are having a breakout of their own, the 2020 season could legitimately be in jeopardy if this doesn’t get under control sooner than later. Thankfully, the Blue Jays are doing their part to keep their own group safe, and any of their opponents by extension.

It sounds like a pretty simple concept, but for a young team like the Blue Jays it’s not only a relief, it’s a very encouraging sign. It shows that the younger players on this team are taking their job seriously, and accepting the responsibility of trying to keep their teammates safe as well.

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According to veteran pitcher Matt Shoemaker, who spoke with Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, he feels “extremely safe” in the environment that the Blue Jays have provided so far. Part of that credit goes to the organization, the coaches, and the leaders that are communicating with the players and trying to hold folks accountable. But it’s also a testament to the discipline of the players, and even their maturity.

Unfortunately that hasn’t been the case with every team across the league, as there have been reports of a few players violating protocols and even team rules. Thankfully the young Blue Jays haven’t been among the teams causing any problems, at least not yet.

“Say guys are going out to clubs or bars, that’s irresponsible to say the least,” Shoemaker said. “We have guys not doing that, which is great from a team standpoint. That’s why I really love this group of guys. We know we want to play baseball.”

Not to sound like an old man here, but with one of the youngest rosters in the league, there certainly could be potential for “youthful ignorance” to factor into the equation. Fortunately guys like Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio, Danny Jansen, and more are not only resisting the temptation to bend the rules, they’re impressing their teammates with their commitment to the game, and to winning.

The young talent in this organization is pretty obvious, and I feel like it’ll lead to big things for the Blue Jays on its own at some point. However, there’s that extra asset of a hunger to win and to improve every day, and that’s arguably even more important. The relatively inexperienced players on the roster have not only shown their maturity and professionalism this year, they’re proving they belong, and that there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the future of this team.