You will be forgiven if you’ve blocked out the entire 2024 season from your memory, Blue Jays fans. Heck, I think we’ve all done it to some extent.

Aside from Vladimir Guerrero Jr showing off his true ceiling from the middle of May on, there really wasn’t much to write home about. The trade deadline represented the biggest adrenaline rush for most Blue Jays fans last year. Rattling off eight separate trades, the Jays were baseball’s busiest team for the last few days of July.

Of all the moves they made, it’s easy to forget about the Justin Turner trade amongst the cluster. A 39-year-old DH/1B rental getting moved at the deadline doesn’t tend to lead to a noteworthy return. Most of the attention was directed toward the return Toronto got from the Houston Astros in the Yusei Kikuchi deal. However, the piece the Blue Jays received from the Mariners in the Turner trade has quietly been raking ever since he’s joined the organization and deserves some more attention. So let’s break him down.

That man is none other than RJ Schreck. A former 9th-round selection by the Mariners in the 2023 draft, Schreck is a power-hitting corner outfielder with a solid plate approach. His career walk rate hovers around 13.5% in his time in the minor leagues, which sits firmly above average. It’s an extremely patient approach at the plate, as evidenced by the fact that Schreck is only swinging at 40.4% of the pitches he’s seen in 2025.

After joining the Blue Jays organization post-trade deadline last season, Schreck slashed .255/.377/.521, good for a 153 wRC+. His 14.0% walk rate was in the 95th percentile for double-A, and his strikeout rate was firmly in check, sitting at a modest 23.7%. So far in 2025, Schreck has gotten even better. Currently slashing .270/.386/.549 (.935 OPS), with nine home runs, 18 RBIs, four stolen bases, and a 171 wRC+. He is currently atop the Eastern League leaderboard in OPS (.935), with teammate Yohendrick Pinañgo (.931) right behind him, who was also acquired at the deadline last summer.

You may be wondering when a promotion to triple-A could be coming for Schreck. I don’t see it happening in the near future.

For one, the Bisons are currently bloated with the number of outfielders on the current roster, so there isn’t a spot for him right now. The other factor in play here is the fact that the talent gap between the two levels is minuscule compared to jumps from other divisions. Many of the top prospects in the sport are in double-A already, and the only real difference when you get promoted to triple-A is that you start facing a lot more journeymen who are organizational depth for most teams.

For RJ Schreck, the message is really simple. Keep doing what you’re doing. His profile is an attractive one, especially for this Blue Jays team that lacks power and good plate skills. His time is likely coming. It’ll just take some creative roster maneuvering to make it a reality.

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