Blue Jays: Memorable moments from the 2022 campaign

John Schneider Era begins in Toronto

July/13/2022

After a struggling west coast road trip and reports that the faith in the locker room was lost, the Jays’ front office decided a change was needed and fired manager Charlie Montoyo, replacing him internally with John Schneider, who was handed the interim tag for the rest of the season.

The move made sense from a few angles, as the Jays skipper had experience managing at the MiLB level (with success) and had managed the likes of Guerrero Jr., Bichette, and Biggio as they rose through the Minor League system, a familiarity that no outside candidate would have with the squad.

With Schneider now at the helm, the Jays won their first game against the Phillies 8-2 and he finished with the same amount of wins as Montoyo (46) but in 14 fewer games. That success did not translate into the postseason, however, as the Jays were unfortunately swept by the Mariners in the AL Wild Card. Schneider was noticeably more aggressive on the base paths and wasn’t afraid to move players around in the lineup, most notably moving Bichette down in the order when he was struggling at the plate. He also held players accountable when they messed up on the field and gained a lot of respect from the players, many of whom would like him to return next season.

The big question now remains on whether the Jays’ front office will remove the interim tag and offer him the permanent manager role moving forward into 2022.