Blue Jays could make brutal John Schneider decision one year after World Series appearance

Blue Jays could make brutal John Schneider decision one year after World Series appearance originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Toronto Blue Jays made it to the World Series in 2025 and were so close to winning it all as they took the Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 7 and were just a couple of outs from the win.

But they blew it, lost the World Series, and are now in the midst of a brutal 2026 season. They're 65-70, under .500, and on the outside looking in for the MLB postseason. A wide-open AL and a weak AL Wild Card give them a chance, but this has been a bad year.

Sports Illustrated's Karl Rasmussen believes that amid such a brutal year, John Schneider, the Blue Jays' manager, could be on the hot seat just one year after being on the verge of winning the World Series.

"Would Toronto really move on from Schneider just a year after he led them to a World Series appearance, and came an inning away from winning a championship?" Rasmussen writes. "Considering the Blue Jays' struggles this season, it's not out of the question."

The Blue Jays are still in the AL Wild Card race despite being 65-70, five games under .500. Thanks to a weak AL overall, they're just 3.5 games back of the third and final Wild Card spot, currently held by the 68-66 Cleveland Guardians.

The Texas Rangers are 2.0 games back, and the Baltimore Orioles are 3.0 games back; both teams, alongside the Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins, who are 4.0 games back each, will compete for this final Wild Card spot.

If the Blue Jays earn that spot, Schneider's job is likely to be safe. But if they were to miss out on the postseason, then he might not be the manager beyond 2026.

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He's been the Blue Jays' manager for five seasons and has a .529 winning percentage to show for it. He's made the postseason three times and made the World Series once.

That's not a bad resume at all. While he did have a weak 2024 season, going 74-88, the 94-68 2025 season and deep playoff run should help him keep his job.

There's no denying the 2026 season has been brutal for the Blue Jays. But it would still be a major shock if they moved on from Schneider just one year removed from the World Series.

But Rasmussen believes that's a possibility. If it did happen, it would be a massive shame for the Blue Jays to fire their manager one year after making it to the biggest stage possible and being just one half-inning away from a title.

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