Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 4: Davis Schneider
2 months ago
This will be the last time you see Davis Schneider’s name on a prospect list. He’s a big leaguer now.
Just a quick recap of the mid-season list: We’ll look at the player’s stats, my observations, and finally other publications’ (Prospects Live, MLB Pipeline, Baseball America) scouting reports.
Let’s take a look at Babe Schneider.
Getting to know Davis Schneider…
Position: Second base/Third base/Left field
Bats: Right
Born: January 26, 1999
Acquired: 28th round, 2017 draft
Current Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Previous Ranking: 22
Davis Schneider hopped on my radar during the 2022 season, slashing .253/.366/.457 with 16 homers in 454 plate appearances in High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. He was best at the Double-A level, where he slashed .283/.368/.476 with six homers in 190 plate appearances.
However, the 24-year-old really broke out in 2023, slashing .275/.416/.553 with a career-high 21 homers in just 392 plate appearances, along with an 18.4 BB% and a 21.9 K% in Triple-A Buffalo. Due to his performance, the Blue Jays added him to the 40-man roster and called him up, where he has made literal history.
The rookie sensation has only been with the Blue Jays since August 3rd, but he’s slashing .370/.500/.815 (that’s a 1.315 OPS) in 102 plate appearances for a 251 wRC+. That 1.315 OPS is the highest in a player’s first 25 games all the way back since the turn of the century (but in 1901).
Not just that, but his 19 extra-base hits (eight home runs, one triple, 10 doubles) are the fourth-highest in a player’s first 25 games. If you were wondering, Bo Bichette is on that list, so is Joe DiMaggio. Pretty good company!
Despite only playing 25 games, Schneider’s fWAR of 2.4 is ranked as the third highest on the Blue Jays, just behind Matt Chapman and Bo Bichette. Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson is the front runner in terms of American League fWAR with 4, but Schneider’s 2.4 fWAR ranks tied for fourth, and to reach second place, he’d just need to accumulate 0.2 more fWAR. He may legitimately get American League Rookie of the Year votes, especially if the Jays make the playoffs.
However, what is the driving factor behind all of Schneider’s success? The power increase and extra exit velocity have certainly helped him, as he looks to pull the ball out of the park. While his stats may eventually decline, the power increase is real, and he could consistently hit 20 homers a season on his raw power alone.
Schneider’s approach has also been beneficial to his insane start to his career. The 24-year-old is looking to do damage early in a count but also pairs this with a great eye at the plate which helps him take quite a few walks (18.4 BB% in AAA, 18.6 BB% in MLB).
Now, there is some swing-and-miss in his game, at least so far in the major leagues. In 2022, he had a 25.6 K%, which dropped to 21.9% in Triple-A this season. However, he’s rocking a 28.4 K% in the big leagues so far in his 102 plate appearances. You can live with a little bit of swing and miss, especially considering he only has a 14.8 whiff rate, which is excellent according to Baseball Savant.
Defensively, Schneider has primarily played second base this season in the big leagues, posting a Defensive Runs Saved of one and an Outs Above Average of three. He also plays left field and the occasional third base and is a fringe defender at both secondary positions.
After last season, I said that it’s not a matter of “when” not “if” Davis Schneider is a big leaguer, and that’s before the power increase. At this point, the sky is the limit for the 24-year-old.
Next up…
In the next article, we’ll look at our last 2023 draftee. Stay tuned!
In case you missed it…
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 50: Garrett Spain
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 49: Connor Cooke
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 48: Michael Dominguez
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 47: Alejandro Melean
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 46: Trenton Wallace
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 45: Brennan Orf
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 44: Robert Robertis
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 43: Sam Shaw
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 42: Rafael Lantigua
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 41: Yhoangel Aponte
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 40: Nick Goodwin
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 39: Irv Carter
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 38: Jimmy Robbins
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 37: Otto López
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 36: Peyton Williams
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 35: Trent Palmer
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 34: C.J. Van Eyk
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 33: Dasan Brown
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 32: Tanner Morris
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 31: Connor O’Halloran
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 30: Kendry Rojas
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 29: Zach Britton
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 28: Adrian Pinto
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 27: Rainer Nuñez
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 26: Hagen Danner
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 25: Hayden Juenger
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 24: Manuel Beltre
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 23: Chad Dallas
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 22: Josh Kasevich
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 21: Adam Macko
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 20: Yosver Zulueta
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 19: Jace Bohrofen
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 18: Cade Doughty
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 17: Enmanuel Bonilla
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 16: Alex De Jesus
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 15: Gabriel Martinez
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 14: Dahian Santos
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 13: Landen Maroudis
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 12: Alan Roden
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 11: Juaron Watts-Brown
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 10: Tucker Toman
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 9: Damiano Palmegiani
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 8: Leo Jimenez
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 7: Brandon Barriera
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 6: Spencer Horwitz
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 5: Addison Barger
As always, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads @Brennan_L_D.
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