4 changes that will help the Blue Jays return to their winning ways in 2024

The manager

Since taking over from Charlie Montoyo as manager of the Jays in 2022, John Schneider has led the team to a strong 135-101 overall winning record along with two well-earned postseason berths. So on paper, it appeared as though Schneider had been quite successful in leading the ballclub to success in the position.

However, in the midst of his current tenure with the Jays, Schneider has often made some questionable calls and decisions that ultimately affected the outcome of various ballgames. Most notably were his decisions on when he utilized his pinch-hitting and pinch-running, in addition to his management of pitchers on when they were brought in or taken out of the game. Unfortunately for Schneider, most of them ended up hurting the team more than helping it. In particular, the one that will linger in the minds of many was his pulling of starter José Berríos from the Jays’ do-or-die Game 2 of the Wild Card series against the Twins when he was practically unhittable.

Whenever decisions are made by the manager, sometimes they work out, sometimes they backfire. But in the end, the manager should own it and at the same time, have the support of the players as well no matter the outcome. But when even the players were dumbfounded, as they started to disagree and show their displeasure on such moves, the manager could essentially be losing the room and the trust of his players in the process. In Schneider’s case, he is definitely treading on thin ice right now. But if the doubt and uncertainty remains in the leading voice of the clubhouse heading into 2024, it may be the right time for a change at the helm. That way, it would re-establish the clubhouse chemistry and put everyone together on the same page once again in creating a winning formula.