Toronto Loses Faith in John Schneider as Blue Jays Manager Avoids Responsibility After Yankees Collapse

The Yankees grabbed a huge win on Sunday against the Blue Jays, taking the series and trimming Toronto’s AL East lead to just two games. Yes, the Blue Jays are still ahead, but the margin is razor-thin. And with about 20 games left, this race could swing either way.

On Sunday, the difference-maker was one big swing from Ben Rice. He crushed a three-run homer to put New York up early, 3-0. Toronto fought back and evened things up in the third. But the Yankees quickly answered with a run in the bottom half and held on for a 4-3 victory. However, instead of tipping his cap to Rice, who continues to add to a breakout season, Blue Jays manager John Schneider put the focus on his own club, saying they need to play better.

But what to play better? Schneider answered, “They were relaying (pitches)… they’re good at it. Major League Baseball knows the Yankees are good when they have something. Maybe I’m the only one that’s going to say it publicly, but we have to do a better job of making sure we’re not giving anything away.”

“They were relaying (pitches).. they're good at it. Major League Baseball knows the Yankees are good when they have something. Maybe I'm the only one that's going to say it publicly, but we have to do a better job of making sure we're not giving anything away.”

– John Schneider

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) September 7, 2025

Well, Schneider actually singled out Max Scherzer, saying the veteran has to do a better job of disguising his pitches. Turns out Scherzer was tipping his changeup. Notably, from first base, Cody Bellinger picked up on it and passed the info to Aaron Judge at second. Aaron Judge then started waving his arms whenever a changeup was coming.

So while Schneider’s postgame comment might’ve sounded like an excuse at first, it was really him giving the Yankees credit for catching on to something totally within the rules and calling out his own team for letting it happen.

However, amid the Blue Jays’ manager’s rhetoric about the Yankees’ sign-stealing, the series finale and the series eventually went to the Yankees. And for the Blue Jays fans, Schneider’s statement sounds like an excuse!

The Blue Jays’ fans are calling out the team’s downfall

The Blue Jays are on a dream campaign this year, topping the AL East and sweeping the Yankees before. Reportedly, just over a month ago, the Blue Jays climbed to more than 20 games over .500. However, since then, they haven’t really built on it. Yes, they haven’t fallen apart, but they also haven’t done enough to slam the door on the Yankees or Red Sox in the AL East race. “Schneider basically conceded the game. Barger, Varsho, and Bichette as the Blue Jays didn’t field the A team!!” one fan said, referring to their recent struggles. “Does not explain our lack of hitting, though, does it?” another fan added.

Well, part of the reason the Blue Jays have leveled off is that the lineup has cooled. Reportedly, George Springer is still in the middle of a historic run. And Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has caught fire again since returning from his hamstring injury. But most of the rest of the order hasn’t been hitting at the same level they were when the team was rolling. However, the good news is the recent addition of Shane Bieber. He looked every bit like the ace they’ve been missing. “Maybe try rolling out your top offensive lineup, and little things like this won’t come back to bite you,” another user shared the same emotion.

But what about the Yankees’ sign-stealing? One fan thinks, “It’s not the first time they’ve done this either!” Even another fan added, “It’s legal, you can only do it for a second, and you can’t give away the pitch, only the location, thanks to PitchCom. I hate the Yankees, but this seems like whining after losing 2/3 games.”

So, just to be clear, the Yankees aren’t doing anything shady here. And we shouldn’t relate this to the 2017 Astros banging on trash cans after watching in the clubhouse. Here, the Yankees are simply watching the pitcher, picking up on any tells, and passing that info along. That kind of on-field sign spotting is completely legal. And the Yankees deserve credit for being sharp enough to take advantage of it.

It’s for the Blue Jays to take note and come up with a better, foolproof plan to avoid sign-stealing.

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