This Blue Jays player could see huge benefits from the ABS system going live in 2026

The upcoming 2026 MLB season will feature the official implementation of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System in regular season games. No player could be looking forward to such an added element to the game more than Toronto Blue Jays second baseman/outfielder Davis Schneider.

After all, Schneider has had his fair share of calls going against him throughout his MLB career with the Blue Jays. As a result, he could actually see the biggest benefits from the ABS system out of anyone on the 2026 Blue Jays squad.

This Blue Jays player could see the biggest benefits from the ABS system going live this MLB season

Just take a look at the numbers since Schneider entered the league during the latter parts of 2023. Since making his debut in the majors that season with Toronto, the 27-year-old utilityman ranked first in the entire league between 2023-2025 for the percentage of called strikes on pitches just outside of the strike zone, as depicted in the illustration below, courtesy of Chris Black. Schneider leads at a 29.9%, with Tyler Nevin considerably behind at 26.9%, followed by Ryan Mountcastle (26.2%) and Josh Jung (25.9%).

If that statistic wasn’t startling enough, just take a look at this short video clip of Schneider during his debut year in 2023 with Toronto. Recall that the 27-year-old Blue Jays dynamo was amidst a spectacular start to his MLB career at the time, and he still had to endure this type of treatment. With all of those non-strikes called strikes, one has to wonder perhaps his offensive numbers could have been even more astronomical if at least a few calls went his way.

Schneider will no longer have to worry about that issue anymore this upcoming season as the Blue Jays will have the opportunity to challenge close calls in the strike zone with the ABS system in place. With the utilityman's great eye, it will give him back that advantage at the plate, forcing pitchers to actually pitch in the strike zone to get him out.

This will definitely be key for his success going forward as during the past couple of seasons with the Blue Jays, Schneider has had his struggles, batting just .205 with a .681 OPS, along with 24 home runs, 77 RBIs, 83 walks and 204 strikeouts in 217 games played in total. With the ABS system potentially on his side, he could see his strikeout rate drop dramatically while witnessing an uptick in his batting average and on-base percentage at the same time with more potential pitches in the strike zone to hit.

Most importantly, with Schneider likely one of the bubble players heading into the 2026 campaign with Toronto, it could end up being the difference between finally cementing a permanent spot on the Blue Jays roster going forward or seeing his tenure with the organization come to an end for the 27-year-old slugger.