Blue Jays hoping underdog rookie Davis Schneider can help boost offence

The Toronto Blue Jays didn't add a significant bat at the trade deadline, but they're about to see if they had one within the organization all along.

Rookie infielder Davis Schneider is joining the team for its weekend series against the Boston Red Sox and will hit seventh in his MLB debut. Pitcher Thomas Hatch was designated for assignment to clear room on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster.

When it comes to Schneider's ascendance, there are two sides to the story. First, it's worth acknowledging that we're witnessing an unlikely feel-good human moment.

Schneider was selected in the 28th round of the MLB Draft and initially looked on track to become an organizational player with little hope of making the major leagues. He spent two-and-a-half seasons playing at the Rookie level before he finally reached Low-A at the end of 2019.

After his 2020 season was wiped out by COVID-19, he started back up at High-A. He's been climbing — and producing — ever since.

Even though he's posted a wRC+ of 118 or more at each level since 2021, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound infielder hasn't garnered much attention until this season. Prior to the open of 2023, FanGraphs released a Blue Jays prospect list that ranked the top-41 players in the team's farm system — plus 24 other "prospects of note." Schneider did not get a mention.

But this year, what he's done at Triple-A has been difficult to miss.

Schneider has slashed .275/.416/.553 with 21 home runs for a 140 wRC+. His OPS (.969) ranks eighth in the International League, and no player has taken more walks (72). Going from a player struggling to escape the lowest rung of the minor leagues to one of the most feared hitters at Triple-A is a massive accomplishment.

Because Schneider is a 24-year-old who only had 75 plate appearances with the Buffalo Bisons prior to 2023, this also isn't a case of a player far too old to be a prospect finding a groove at Triple-A after seeing it for a few seasons. Schneider has shown legitimate promise.

Making it to Toronto in the first place is a major accomplishment, but the second part of this story is what he can do in a Blue Jays uniform to help the 2023 team. That's tough to project.

Schneider isn't coming with an everyday job lined up. He's likely to get at-bats against left-handed pitching, and his role will only expand if he forces the team's hand. The issue for the 24-year-old is that he's been better against right-handed pitchers than southpaws in each of the last two seasons.

In 2023, that split is dramatic, with Schneider posting a 1.070 OPS against righties and a .748 mark against left-handers. The samples are small there, but he doesn't come to the Blue Jays as an obvious lefty masher.

Expectations should remain in check for a player who hasn't been seen as a possible big leaguer until recently. FanGraphs' Steamer projection system has Schneider producing a .229/.331/.401 line — good for a 106 wRC+. That kind of production would be helpful for the Blue Jays, but it wouldn't be a paradigm shifter for an underachieving offence.

Toronto is trying to catch lightning in a bottle here, and based on what Schneider has done at Triple-A it might just work. If it does, his positional versatility will make him easy to slot into the lineup if his production demands a large role. He's played at least six games at four different positions in 2023, with extensive looks at second base and left field.

If Schneider can't rise to the latest challenge, the cost won't be particularly high as Toronto can replace him on their bench with another internal option they give limited at-bats to — or an external player who gets DFA'd.

If the unheralded infielder can keep him magical 2023 going at the highest level, the Blue Jays' trade deadline will look a little less underwhelming.