Finally off the Schneid: Davis slugs first HR since June

TORONTO -- Finally, Davis Schneider's drought is over.

Schneider has spent the past four months searching for himself. It all happened so suddenly, his fall from being one of the Blue Jays’ most productive hitters to a slump that’s threatened his place in the big leagues, but there’s a reason he’s been given all of these chances, all this time to run into dead ends. Everyone’s been waiting for what happened Saturday.

Schneider homered for the first time since June 22, a stretch of 159 plate appearances that have been, at times, abysmal. He later ripped a single to left field to drive in an insurance run that padded the Blue Jays’ 7-2 win over the Cardinals at Rogers Centre. It finally looked like it did in April and May again.

As Schneider spoke after the win, Ernie Clement, one of his closest friends on the team, weaved through the crowd and cut in.

“Ever since Danny Jansen left, he doesn’t know how to pull the ball,” Clement said, his hand on Schneider’s shoulder.

As it turns out, Schneider was using one of Jansen’s old bats on Saturday. Next time Jansen is in town, Schneider said, he’s going to steal a few more.

The numbers since Schneider’s hot start tell most of the story. Schneider came into this weekend batting .151 with a .460 OPS since June, piling up strikeouts and empty at-bats along the way. Nearly all of Schneider’s value to this team depends on his bat, so there’s been nowhere for Schneider to hide and, to his credit, he hasn’t tried to. Schneider has been on the roster bubble at points, forcing some uncomfortable conversations within the organization, but he’s still been given every opportunity possible to turn this around.

“I give him credit because he works. He’s the first one here. He cares a lot and he’s really loved by his teammates,” manager John Schneider said. “When you’re struggling, you pull the layers back a little bit and look at what’s going on. If you like and trust what’s going on, you stick with a guy. He’s an easy guy to root for.”

That’s because the Blue Jays have seen Schneider at his best, who is a player worth chasing. It’s important to take a snapshot of who Schneider was at the end of May, before everything started to unravel.

Coming off a debut for the ages in late 2023, Schneider hit .245 with seven home runs and an .824 OPS through April and May. For the last 12 games he started in May, he was the Blue Jays’ leadoff hitter and for good reason. And when the Blue Jays unveiled their City Connect jerseys at the end of May, the doors to their team store swung open the next morning for the long line waiting outside. While the Vladdy and Bo Bichette merch emptied out quickly, so did anything with Schneider’s name on it.

Schneider became a fan favorite overnight in 2023 when he kicked the door down with one of the best debuts in MLB history. He was the first MLB player with nine hits and two homers over his first three career games. The former 28th round pick with a mustache and glasses was beloved from the moment he showed up on everyone’s screens, which is why there’s been a certain level of patience from the fan base as well as the front office.

Davis has worked to keep a perspective in this, too. It all matters, but it can’t swallow him whole.

“I take this seriously. It is my job, so in that aspect, I make sure I put in the work. At the end of the day, it’s not the worst thing in the world if you’re not getting a hit,” Schneider said. “There’s a lot of people out there who are struggling way more than me. I get mad in the moment, but I do a pretty good job after the game of forgetting it and flushing it. There’s always a new day tomorrow.”

One day does not erase the last hundred, but it has to start somewhere.

Schneider now faces a steep hill at second base, but his ability to play some left field still works in his favor. This team, like it did coming into the season, still needs offense and still needs power. Schneider seemed like a good bet for 20-plus homers coming into the season, so if any of that is still in there, the Blue Jays are going to keep looking for it. They haven’t stopped, and neither has he.