Blue Jays fan favorite could get squeezed off roster after offseason acquisitions

After getting off to one of the hottest starts in MLB history in 2023, Toronto Blue Jays utilityman Davis Schneider faces an uphill battle to make the Jays' Opening Day roster as position players get set to report to Dunedin, Florida for spring training on Tuesday.

A 28th-round draft pick in 2017, Schneider steadily made his way through the minor league ranks and started knocking on the big league door in 2022 and 2023. Surprisingly powerful, the 5-foot-9 New Jersey native slugged 37 home runs across Double and Triple-A in 2022 and '23, which forced the Jays’ hand to call him up to The Show.

The 26-year-old debuted on Aug. 4, 2023, and quickly became a household name. He hit a homer in his first at-bat and collected an astonishing nine hits over his first 13 at-bats, which included a pair of home runs and five RBI. His nine hits over his first three games tied the modern MLB record, and he set a new MLB record with a 1.358 OPS through his first 20 games.

Despite ending the season in a 5-49 (.102) slump, Schneider impressed in his first big league action, finishing 2023 with a 1.008 OPS to go along with eight homers and 20 RBI in 25 games. In total, he was worth 1.8 bWAR while primarily playing at second base and left field.

That success helped him earn a spot on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster last season, where he recorded 20 extra-base hits through his first 49 games. His production dropped off afterwards, however, as the fan-favorite hit just .159 with a .499 OPS from June 1 onwards.

And now, he could be on the outside looking in after the Blue Jays retooled their roster following last year's 74-88 showing.

Andrés Giménez was acquired via trade and has won three Gold Gloves at second base. Anthony Santander was signed and will be part of the corner outfield mix and also get some starts at designated hitter.

Schneider also faces an uphill battle at third base, as Ernie Clement proved himself a dependable option last year while Schneider was working through his slump. Clement hit .263 with 12 homers, 51 RBI, .692 OPS (95 OPS+), and a 3.4 bWAR in his first full season.

And if that wasn't enough, the Blue Jays also acquired two players who could stand in Schneider’s way in their trade that sent Yusei Kikuchi to the Houston Astros at last year's deadline. Will Wagner looks like a seasoned major leaguer and will be in the corner infield/DH mix while Joey Loperfido appears to have the inside track on an outfield spot.

There's still a path for Schneider to contribute for the Blue Jays in 2025; it’s just a bit more cluttered now. While there's a good chance that he could start the year in Triple-A, Schneider is a scrappy competitor who won't go down without a fight. He’ll need to bring his A-game to stay in the field for a roster spot and another chance to prove he belongs in the major leagues.