March 30, 2023

By Zeno Fu

Centennial Sports Journalism

DUNEDIN, Fla. – The pathway to success in the competitive world of professional sports is never easy.

That has certainly been the case for infielder Davis Schneider, who was picked by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 28th round of the 2017 draft.

Instead of letting adversity slow him down, however, the 24-year-old baseball prospect has accepted the challenge of being a late selection and uses it as motivation.

“I knew that going in I wasn’t going to be a high (pick), that I had to earn my playing time,” said the New Jersey native prior to a practice at the Player Development Complex. “I had to work hard … make sure that I was doing my best out on the field so I can earn my opportunity.”

It wasn’t always that simple though. He had to work his way through the minor leagues, and bounced around the different Blue Jays affiliate teams through the years, having played for the High-A Vancouver Canadians, the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, and the triple-A Buffalo Bisons just within the past year.

In 383 at-bats, across the three minor league teams last season, Schneider hit .253, with 16 home runs, 56 RBIs and a career-high .823 OPS.

His hardships were compounded astronomically when he lost his older brother in November of 2020, amidst a global pandemic that took the whole baseball season from him. Through all that, he still found a way to endure and push through.

He grew from the experience and learned that, while baseball was his job, it was much more pleasant to view it as the sport he loves.

“A couple years ago, I’d strike out and I would be mad, ripping my batting gloves, throwing my bat,” said Schneider. “I taught myself to just enjoy the little things and enjoy each moment, and just be lucky that I’m here with everything that I have right now.”

The one thing that has never wavered in his game is believing in himself, whether he was playing for the Canadians, the Fisher Cats, or the Bisons, the team that he will likely start the season with this year.

“I always felt like guys who were drafted in the first or top 10 rounds, I always thought I could compete with them,” said the current triple-A player. “It’s knowing that and going into each game (knowing) that you belong … it’s a lot easier because if you don’t have confidence in yourself, you can’t really do too much with it.”

It is precisely this faith in his abilities that has brought him to the brink of a spot on a Major League roster, being listed by Blue Jays Nation writer Brennan Delaney as a top prospect primed to build on the breakout season from last year.

“I would say just confidence-wise, sticking to my plan because last year was the first year where I got routine at bats, continuous at bats … I feel like I can really show what I can do,” said Schneider on his upward trajectory starting from the end of the 2022 season. “Last couple years, there were guys in front of me who had to play more than me, which I get … I just had to earn my time and wait for my time to come, and it just paid off last year.”

If his growing success sees him on the Blue Jays roster at some point this year, all the better. He would love nothing more than to make his mother and father, who sacrificed a lot of time and money to support his career, proud parents of a Major Leaguer. If the call-up doesn’t happen this year, then it’s simply just back to the grind.

“It would be a cool experience, but I still got to work hard, take nothing for granted because nothing’s guaranteed. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, anything could happen, so I just got to make it worth it.”