Blue Jays 40-man Roster Review: Davis Schneider looks to return to the form he had early in his career

One of the biggest questions coming into the 2025 season is whether or not Davis Schneider can have a bounce-back year.

This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual 40-man Roster Review, where we look at the players on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster. We’ll look at how the player performed in 2024, his season projections for the 2025 season, and any storylines heading into this coming season. In this article, we’ll look at Davis Schneider.

The last two months of the 2023 season were unforgettable for Davis Schneider and every Toronto Blue Jay fan. Schneider was recalled in early August and hit a home run in his first plate appearance. The rest of the season was fantastic, as he finished the 2023 season slashing .276/.404/.603 with eight home runs in 141 plate appearances for a 176 wRC+ and a 1.9 fWAR.

Schneider’s first full season in the big leagues didn’t go nearly as well. Overall, he slashed .191/.282/.343 with 13 home runs in 454 plate appearances, along with a 10.4 BB% and a 31.7 K% for an 80 wRC+ and a 0.4 fWAR. The second baseman/left fielder actually started the season well, slashing .245/.354/.470 with seven home runs in 181 plate appearances from the start of the season until May 31, capped off by a walk-off home run.

Unfortunately, the rest of the season didn’t go as well for Schneider, as from Jun. 1 until the end of the season, the 25-year-old slashed .159/.234/.264 with six home runs in 273 plate appearances for a 44 wRC+. There were positive stretches, such as a seven-game span where he hit three home runs in 25 plate appearances, but he eventually lost his everyday role to other young players.

The good news is that projection models have him bouncing back next season. Fangraphs’ Steamer has him slashing .218/.317/.386 with seven home runs in 217 plate appearances for 104 wRC+ and a 0.4 fWAR. The projection model ATC is the highest on him, as it has him slashing .214/.309/.389 with 11 home runs in 317 plate appearances for a 102 wRC+ and a 0.6 fWAR, while OOPSY has Schneider slashing .218.314/.388 with seven home runs in 217 plate appearances with a 103 wRC+ and a 0.4 fWAR.

Whether or not Schneider can bounce back isn’t the only question, as another lingering question is what role will Schneider be in. With the Blue Jays trading for Andrés Giménez and signing Anthony Santander, both of Schneider’s most-played positions are occupied by a starter. Still, a utility spot is up for grabs that perhaps Schneider can fill. If not, Schneider has several option years remaining, meaning the Jays can send him to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons to get back on track.