Lineup change works to perfection as Davis Schneider comes through in a big way

When George Springer left Game 3 after fouling a pitch off, clearly labouring his side on the swing, fans of the Toronto Blue Jays had a pretty good suspicion that he’d need at least a day off. When Wednesday’s Game 5 rolled around, Springer still had not found his way into the lineup.

His replacement in the leadoff position? Davis Schneider, the ex-outcast who was picked in the 28th-round by the Blue Jays in 2017 who just recorded his first hit of the World Series and his first career postseason home run. 

To say that the 26-year-old made his opportunity in the World Series worth it, would be understating the true significance of how the game began. On the first pitch of the game, before fans had even settled into their seats, Schneider took advantage of a high heater and did what he was brought up to do.

The 97 mph pitch in the upper inside part of the zone couldn’t overmatch him, as he drove it to deep left field, a homer that immediately silenced Dodger Stadium. The swing of his life left the bat at 97 mph and soared 373 feet. It had been since August 14th that Schneider last hit leadoff and since September 11th since his previous home run, but his impersonation of George Springer atop the lineup couldn’t have been more bang on.

Davis Schneider’s storybook rise reaches the biggest stage

Schneider’s first pitch bomb off of lefty Blake Snell into the first row in left field led to another dagger just two pitches later. All of a sudden, the Blue Jays led Game 5 by two runs, courtesy of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who also went yard. With Vladdy’s 394 foot home run off an inside fastball at 96 mph, history was made. Not only did it mark his fastest swing speed all season at 87.4 mph, but it also placed the Toronto Blue Jays as the first team to begin a World Series game with back-to-back homers.

We could talk about Vladdy’s historic postseason all day and into the night too. After all, he has smashed eight home runs and ran up his postseason OPS to 1.337, displaying one of the best postseason’s in MLB history. That being said, the spotlight of the offensive ambush to start the game should be on Davis Schneider.

Buck Martinez said it best as Schneider was roaming through the dugout with the home run jacket: “What a storybook career for Davis Schneider.” Schneider fully earned every step of his climb through the Minor Leagues, working his way through the lower levels of the minors while playing complementary roles with the higher-profile prospects taking the spotlight.

His sudden burst onto the big-league scene in August 2023 with a homer in his first MLB at-bat and a record-tying nine hits and two home runs in his first three games, made Blue Jays fans aware of his potential. His rapid ascent from a long-shot draftee to a fan favourite comes down to his resilience while earning every inch of his climb.