TORONTO — Davis Schneider dove head-first into third base after blasting a two-run triple in the third inning on Tuesday and then looked up to see his Toronto Blue Jays teammates standing in the dugout celebrating with their arms outstretched in the air.
In the moment, Schneider’s triple had the Blue Jays dugout on its feet because it helped them go up by three against the New York Mets, who they eventually beat 6-2 at the Rogers Centre. But Schneider’s teammates were also so pleased to see him hit one to the wall because they knew he’d been searching for a hit like that for a while.
“He’s an easy guy to root for,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after the game.
Swinging it early 💪
We’ve scored FIVE runs! pic.twitter.com/9IRmaJ8KhI
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 11, 2024
After a productive start to the season, the utility man has been in a prolonged slump for much of the second half. Since the All-Star break, Schneider had slashed .112/.200/.157 in 32 games before Tuesday. He came into the game against the Mets hitless in his last nine at-bats and the third-inning triple snapped a skid that had extended to 0-for-10 following a strikeout in the second inning. It was also his first RBIs since July 29.
“It was good,” said Schneider, who finished 1-for-4. “It’s been a while since I had an RBI. I forget. I don’t know how long it was, but as long as we’re winning games, it doesn’t really matter what I do on the field, but it’s good to know I contributed tonight.”
Last year, Schneider had a dream start to his MLB career. The 25-year-old hit a home run in his first at-bat and went on to post a 1.315 OPS in his first 25 games, an MLB record. All the while, he became a fast fan favourite.
But his first full season in the majors hasn’t been so smooth. After making the Opening Day roster, Schneider slashed .245/.354/.470 with seven home runs in April and May and looked on his way to another quality season. But after months of uneven play, his OPS dropped from .804 on June 1 to .617 entering Tuesday’s game. He had just nine extra-base hits in that span, including three home runs, until the triple against the Mets.
While the hits hadn’t been falling on the field, behind the scenes, Schneider has been working tirelessly with coaches and staff to find a way back to being a productive hitter.
Often, Schneider is the first player to arrive at the Rogers Centre before the day’s game. Partly, he arrives early because, in his words, “I don’t really like sitting at home,” but it’s also a function of the tireless work ethic that helped him get to the majors.
“I take this job seriously. You got to come to the park each day knowing you got to put in the work to see the results,” Schneider said. “Obviously, I haven’t really been playing the best these past couple of months, but as long as I’m here playing baseball, I’m going to work my a– off to do the job and make sure I’m giving 100 percent out there.”
Even when Schneider wasn’t producing, his manager has tried to find spots for him in the lineup where he could succeed. John Schneider acknowledged that, had the Blue Jays been in playoff contention this year, perhaps the utility man’s runway wouldn’t have been as long to figure it out. But with this season’s focus on the future and with the organization keen to find out what their young players can bring, Davis Schneider has continued to receive opportunities. All the while, the message he received from the organization has been “positive reinforcement,” his manager said.
“I think the fact that he’s shown that he’s had success here, you want him to try to get back to that,” John Schneider said. “And the only way you can do it is to go out and perform. So credit to him for keeping his head down, for the guys in the clubhouse to continue to have his back and he’s an easy guy to root for, that’s kind of the easy way to put it.”
During his struggles, Davis Schneider said he’s been making adjustments almost daily. “I tried it all,” he said. “If you see my stances throughout these past couple of months, there’s probably not one single one that’s the same.
“I like to switch it up a lot, and I’m going to continue to switch it up when things aren’t feeling the right way,” he continued.
After Mets starter David Peterson fooled Schneider on a slider in his first at-bat, the second baseman made sure he was ready for a sinker the second time he faced him. In a 3-1 count, Schneider got the pitch he was waiting for.
“He threw it down the middle, so that kind of helped,” Schneider said of his approach.
Schneider’s triple was part of a four-run third inning that propelled the Blue Jays to the win and knocked the Mets back into a tie with the Atlanta Braves for the final National League wild-card spot after the Braves beat the Washington Nationals.
After the game, Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt said he’s been impressed with the way that Schneider has handled himself through the ups and downs of his season.
“He shows up early. He gets his work in. He’s constantly in a good mood every single day,” said Bassitt, who threw six one-run innings against his former club. “His struggles haven’t really been shown. This game’s really hard — really hard. Just to have that maturity as a young player, it speaks a lot.”
As for how Schneider has remained positive, he credits his support from family and friends at home, as well as his teammates, especially close buddies Spencer Horwitz and Ernie Clement, for their unwavering encouragement.
“Baseball’s a tough game, but a lot of my friends are here, I’m playing with (them), and I couldn’t be more grateful to have a group of guys like (the one) here right now,” Schneider said. “A lot of people have been through it on the baseball field, so they know what it takes and how rough it is to go through a stretch, but they’re always just having my back and making sure I’m in the right mental spot.”
(Photo of Schneider (right) getting doused in Gatorade by his teammate Luis De Los Santos: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)
