Davis Schneider has been one of the best call-ups to the Blue Jays roster this season. Not only has he quickly been able to adapt to MLB pitching, he’s thrived. One question that has been raised since his amazing start was why he wasn’t given consistent opportunities earlier. He is one of the best hitters on the team at this moment and the Blue Jays have refused to use him outside of a few games until the injury bug came through.
A Low Risk for the Blue Jays
Schneider had lost his shine this year, having been ranked number 13 in the Blue Jays system and started with the Buffalo Bisons. He was able to play any position at the level but more importantly, he was able to hit. With his .969 OPS and 21 home runs, the 28th-round pick had his opportunity in the big leagues. What no one would expect would be just how much of an offensive impact he would make out of the gate.
A Record Debut
He became the first player in the MLB to record nine hits and two home runs in his first three games. He continued to become an offensive leader before his tenth game in his MLB career. While he was average against left-handed pitchers, right-handed pitchers would tremble at the idea of him. But for some reason, this itself did not allow Schneider to stay on the Blue Jays roster full-time.
After his great start, Schneider would be used sparingly and during this time, the Blue Jays sputtered. They were a team that would be so inconsistent in their offense that they would struggle to get 10 hits in a single series. That wouldn’t be until the last series against Cleveland Guardians which saw the consistent return of the young hitter.
But it still doesn’t answer the million-dollar question. Why leave out one of your best hitters out of the lineup when the team is constantly struggling with offense?
Injuries Abound on Blue Jays Roster
With Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman hitting the injured list, Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal haven’t been effective and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hasn’t been able to replicate his MVP-like season from 2021, it only makes sense for Schneider to get his opportunity.
The team even lost their wild card spot to the Seattle Mariners at the time and it still didn’t dawn on them that they needed to change up their roster. While there were a lot of issues on the field regarding the team’s efforts, what was really puzzling was that the team had opportunities to change some things up and refused to do so for some unknown reason.
Schneider was the obvious choice despite him only being a rookie. The Blue Jays sidelined a rookie for players like Guerrero Jr. who have been completely inconsistent. It felt like a slap in the face.
The good news is that the Blue Jays are still fighting for a postseason spot, being 0.5 games out and right on the heels of the Texas Rangers. While the playoffs aren’t out of sight for the team, with how the AL West has picked up steam, and the Rays haven’t faltered, holding one of the spots at the end of the year might be difficult.
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