Season Preview Part 5 - Bluejaysfan65's Dynasty

Arena Blog Dynasty Scores Sign Up ☰

Bluejaysfan65's Dynasty Blog

Season Preview Part 5

Posted on July 17, 2013 at 06:06 PM.

(0)

Complete Toronto Blue Jays 2013 Season Preview: X-Factor

I�ve always seen an x-factor as an intangible. Something that matters but just can�t be quantified in any reasonable manner. Momentum and crowd noise are examples of x-factors. It�s something that definitely plays a role in the outcome of a game or a season, but the impact of which cannot be measured.

For this team, chemistry is the x-factor. One of the most important intangibles is the culture in the clubhouse. Teams more talented than this have faltered because of issues behind closed doors, and avoiding any of those problems will be a large factor in their success.

The returning group of players have shown that they like playing with each other. Whether it is the unique postgame celebrations between Bautista, Rasmus and Rajai Davis in the outfield, or the brotherhood of Team Unit (Lawrie, Arencibia and Bautista), it is clear that this is a team with a lot of youthful enthusiasm that loves to play the game.

Sometimes this youthful zeal can be a hindrance. Young players can get distracted on the road, not get motivated for games or find themselves concentrating on extraneous distractions, like their social media presence, more than baseball.

That is where the acquisition of the veteran players will be a key role. Veterans like Dickey, Buehrle and Reyes will work to keep the youngsters in check on the road and in the clubhouse.

Combine last year's enthusiasm with this year's belief that they can win a World Series and the situation is magnified. Their youthful enthusiasm and chemistry could be their downfall, but more likely, it could be their x-factor to success.