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John Schneider returns for 2026 season as Blue Jays exercise contract option
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Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Nov 6, 2025, 15:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 6, 2025, 15:28 EST
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John Schneider will spend another season at the helm of the Toronto Blue Jays.
In a press conference on Thursday, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins noted that the team has exercised the 2026 option on Schneider’s contract. It’s also worth noting that Atkins noted that the two parties are discussing a longer extension.
Schneider is one of three finalists for the American League Manager of the Year, along with Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians and Dan Wilson of the Seattle Mariners. The Blue Jays finished with a 74-88 record in 2024, but improved to a 94-68 record in 2025, finishing with the best record in the American League.
On top of the best record in the American League, Schneider led the Blue Jays to Game 7 of the World Series, the first time the Blue Jays have made the World Series since 1993. By winning the American League pennant, Schneider will serve as the American League manager in the 2026 All-Star Game.
Schneider took over as the Blue Jays’ manager midway through the 2022 season, replacing Charlie Montoyo. Over the remaining 74 games, the Blue Jays were 46-28. In his first full season as the manager, the 2023 Blue Jays finished with an 89-73 record, but they dropped to a 74-88 record in 2024. 
Along with his 94-68 record in 2025, Schneider has a 303-257 record since taking over as the Blue Jays’ manager, giving him a .541 winning percentage. In the postseason, the Blue Jays are 10-12 during Schneider’s tenure, as they went 10-8 during the 2025 playoffs.
On top of being one of the most-winningest managers in Blue Jays history, Schneider has cultivated an incredible clubhouse atmosphere, a big reason why the Jays were as successful as they were during the 2025 season. The good news is that most of those players will return, as the Blue Jays only have a handful of free agents; the most notable of the bunch is Bo Bichette.
Schneider and the Blue Jays will be without on piece of their 2025 coaching staff, as Don Mattingly stepped down from his role. That said, it’s good to see Schneider return for another season as the team’s manager.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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