Davis Schneider continues to force the Blue Jays' hand in Triple-A

Wherever Blue Jays prospect Davis Schneider goes, big stats follow. The way he has been hitting this season, he may be forcing the Jays into a call-up sooner rather than later.

Schneider, 24, has had a solid 2023 season in Triple-A for the Buffalo Bisons. He's hitting .266 with a .409 on-base and .532 slugging percentage. More impressive, he has stepped it up a notch since the beginning of June, with a .287/.457/.543 slash line.

On Sunday, Schneider continued his stellar 2023 campaign with his 19th home run — a game-saving two-run shot that helped the Bisons steal a win.

Those 19 long balls look good alongside his 56 RBI and nine stolen bases through 80 games. He has also been showing off his eye at the plate, walking at an 18.7 percent clip (23.1 percent since June 1). He has cut his strikeout rate to 23 percent this season from 26.7 percent in 17 games last year in Buffalo.

A 28th-round pick (849th overall) in the 2017 draft, Schneider has been an offensive force to be reckoned with as he has pushed his way through Toronto's farm system. Now ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Jays' no. 28 prospect, he's at the last stop before a major league debut. Despite his lack of prospect pedigree, it's a move that seems close.

Can Schneider force the Jays into a change at second base?

With the MLB trade deadline looming and the resulting roster shuffling, Schneider may have done enough to get his shot at The Show. He's a versatile fielder, splitting his time between second base and left field this season, with a handful of starts at first.

Outside of Whit Merrifield's production in his 49 starts at second, the position has been a black hole for the Jays this season, with Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal unable to pull their weight. Is there a chance that the front office, looking for a spark, swaps Schneider for one of Biggio or Espinal?

A case can be made for giving either part-time player a breather from the big club. Biggio finished the first half hitting .197 in 142 at-bats, while Espinal wasn't much better with a first-half average of .218 in 119 at-bats.

Espinal, the 2022 All-Star, has been the most disappointing performer at second base. His 46.2 percent ground ball rate, 86.9 mph average exit velocity and 0.8 percent barrel rate have led to a severe lack of production and a 73 wRC+.

Biggio has been more productive with a 91 wRC+ but still carries career-worst marks with an 8.4 percent walk rate and 28.9 percent strikeout rate. Up to this point, neither player has shown that they are the solution for a team looking to contend in the postseason.

If the Jays decide to try and catch lightning in a bottle for a second-half push, the hot-hitting Schneider might be the answer. He's surprised everyone so far — why not one more time?