Schneider's incredible catch proves his work is paying off

TORONTO - If Davis Schneider wasn't so nice, you'd swear he had a secret vendetta against Canadian baseball.

The Toronto Blue Jays outfielder has been responsible for some iconic moments in his three seasons in the majors, two of which came at the expense of Canadian players.

His most recent one spoiled what could have been a storybook moment for Burlington, Ontario's Owen Caissie. The Chicago Cubs promoted their top prospect Thursday, allowing him to debut against his hometown team at Rogers Centre.

Facing future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, Caissie ripped the first pitch he saw - a 94-mph fastball - into left field. It looked like it was going to split the outfielders for a hit.

But Schneider came soaring out of nowhere to make an incredible catch, arguably the best of his career.

Schneider is as humble as they come, but he admitted to watching the highlight of his catch a few times.

"Oh, for sure, of course," he said with a laugh.

Schneider was well aware that Caissie was making his MLB debut that afternoon and credited the fans for giving him a standing ovation before his first at-bat.

"The Cubs did a good job calling him up for that series," he said. "He deserved it.

"For him, debuting here as a Canadian kid, it's probably the best feeling in the world. He grew up a Blue Jays fan. I grew up a Phillies fan, so if I debuted at Citizens Bank Park, that would have been a different story. Obviously Fenway was amazing, just with the history, but I wouldn't even know what to do if I debuted in Philly."

In that debut at Fenway Park, almost exactly three years earlier on Aug. 4, 2023, Schneider didn't give the opposing Boston Red Sox the chance to make an outrageous catch. He took Ladner, British Columbia's James Paxton deep over the Green Monster.

It was a dream moment; Schneider is one of only 136 players in MLB history, dating back to 1887, to have homered in their first career at-bat. Only four players have done it since.

"That seems like a lifetime ago, but I can still relive that moment," he said.

Schneider was asked in jest if he felt even a little bit guilty of robbing Caissie; of course, he didn't. But he did admit, "It would have been cool for him to get it off Max."

He played against Caissie in Triple-A earlier in the season as a member of the Buffalo Bisons, and he had no doubt the two would cross paths again in the majors.

"He was nasty," Schneider recalled. "I knew he was gonna be a big leaguer sooner rather than later."

When his moment came, Caissie finished his MLB debut having gone 0-for-4 with one strikeout, and each of the three balls he put in play ended up in Schneider's glove. He called the highlight-reel catch his "welcome to the league" moment.

"He's a really good player," Schneider said. "He's gonna get (that hit) eventually."

'He's going to be a really good outfielder'

Daulton Varsho, the AL's reigning Gold-Glove winner in center field, can be considered a defensive expert.

Varsho credits Schneider for the work he's put in as he continues to transition from the infield. He believes the 26-year-old possesses the right mindset needed to continue to grow into a strong defender, which Schneider displayed in the immediate aftermath of making Thursday's catch.

"He actually came in (from the field) and goes, 'Wow, my route was really bad,'" Varsho said.

"I'm glad he's learning and has an understanding of, 'Okay, I can get better at that position by being able to do some better routes.' It's just really cool for me to hear that from him."

Schneider was drafted in the 28th round in 2017 and spent the first five seasons of his minor-league career bouncing around the infield before getting his first taste of the outfield in 2022. After debuting in the majors primarily as a second baseman in 2023, he's seen his deployment extend to the corner outfield the last two seasons, and has found himself in left field in 40 of the 54 games he's played in 2025.

Schneider will be the first to admit there have been some mistakes along the way. But he credits Varsho and former teammate Kevin Kiermaier for his improvements.

"Having KK and Varsh here has been very influential," he said. "They're so good and taught me a lot on how to do it."

In mastering the outfield, Varsho emphasizes the initial read of the bat, something he believes he's picked up because of his previous catching experience. And he's working with Schneider on another practice he feels separates good outfielders from great ones.

"Your first step is the biggest thing," Varsho said. "When you're an elite outfielder, your first step has gotta be great."

Schneider has been working on his and says going to his right is easier, while "going back to my left is my weak spot." It's a little Derek Zoolander, but as is his custom, he's tinkering with it.

"We've been working on that ever since I kind of started playing outfield," he said.

Given how things have played out, Schneider's continued improvements on both sides of the ball likely spell trouble for any Canadian baseball players he faces moving forward. But Blue Jays fans don't seem to mind - he's quickly become a fan favorite in Toronto. And his teammates certainly appreciate his efforts.

"He's going to be a really good outfielder," Varsho said.