Two years ago, a Jays player was ready to quit professional baseball. Now, he’s making MLB history

Two years before breaking into the majors with a historical debut, Davis Schneider wanted to quit professional baseball.

Having been drafted as a 28th-round pick in 2017 and spending five years playing in the minors, he wasn’t sure he still had an MLB future.

“I was playing like once a week,” Schneider told CTV News Toronto from the dugout Friday before the Toronto Blue Jays’ homestand against the Cleveland Guardians. “And when I got to play, I was terrible.”

“Luckily, I stuck it out.”

Schneider was called up to play for the Jays on Aug. 4. In his first at-bat, he hit a home run against James Paxton of the Boston Red Sox – and then he just didn’t stop. At the Jays’ series at Fenway Park, Schneider made MLB history, becoming the first player in the sport to collect nine hits and two homers in his first three games.

“You always hope to make it to the big leagues, but I never expected it to happen this way,” Schneider admitted. “I didn’t even expect to play three games in a row.”

After hitting the homer at his first at-bat, Schneider recalled pitching coach Pete Walker turning to him and teasing, ‘Our season is depending on you, so you better do well.’”

Davis Schneider sits in the Toronto Blue Jays’ dugout on Aug. 25 before a homestand against the Cleveland Guardians. (Abby O’Brien/CTV News Toronto)

But for the 24-year-old infielder, the publicity surrounding his debut has been more daunting than any pressure to perform. He’s not much of a talker, he says, and feels more comfortable showcasing his talents on the field.

“I was definitely nervous [to debut], don’t get me wrong, but everything leading up to the game – the media, the interviews – made me more nervous because when you look at it, the big leagues are just like every other game – once your foot is on the field, you’re just trying to win.”

In his first weeks with the team, Schneider’s been “an easy guy to root for,” manager John Schneider told CTV News Toronto.

“Others are drawn to him because of his story – a late-round pick, really had to grind and make adjustments in the minors, wasn’t with us during spring training – and now he’s really been a shot in the arm for us,” John said.

Teammate and closing pitcher Jordan Romano said Schneider’s “a clubhouse favourite.”

“It’s been surprising – a rookie, first time in the big leagues – how great he is about everything,” Romano said before Friday’s game. “Everyone saw it in the first couple games: [he’s] an absolute spark plug.”

Davis Schneider takes part in batting practice on Aug. 25, 2023 before a homestand against the Cleveland Guardians. (Abby O’Brien/CTV News Toronto)

Schneider’s teammates have acted as a support for him since joining the majors, he said.

“They made me feel part of the team really quickly,” he said. “We’ve got so many players that have been around the game a long time – Bo, Vladdy, Kiermaier, Bassitt are just some who I’ve been asking questions of.”

But it was first baseman Brandon Belt who sat Schneider down to instill some veteran advice, the rookie said.

“Belt sat me down the other day and was just like, ‘You’re good enough to be here, so don’t really go and try to change anything,’” Schneider said.

Belt warned the newcomer of outside voices and pressures, urging him to “stick to what [he] does well.”

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For now, Schneider said uncertainty isn’t a problem for him.

“I know there will be stints when I won’t do well, but during those, you just gotta think, ‘Okay what do I have to do to make this better,” the rookie said.

“Baseball is definitely a tough mental sport. You’re bound to have ups and downs.”

The Toronto Blue Jays will face off against the Cleveand Guardians Saturday night at Rogers Centre for Game 2 of their home series. The Jays lost 5-2 to the Guardians on Friday.

Davis Schneider warms up on Aug. 25, 2023 before a homestand against the Cleveland Guardians. (Abby O’Brien/CTV News Toronto)