Blue Jays’ Schneider cracks top City Connect jersey sales after 14th-inning walk-off home run

Blue Jays’ Davis Schneider cracked the list of top jersey sales this weekend after hitting a walk-off home run at the on-field debut of the team’s new City Connect uniform on Friday.

The jerseys, released as part of the Nike-MLB City Connect partnership, made their on-field debut at Friday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which went 14 innings before Schneider hit a two-run homer, winning it for the Jays.

It was his first career walk-off home run, and the Jays’ first walk-off victory of the season.

Ever since Schneider’s winning hit – his seventh home run of the season – fans have been eager to get their hands on the utilityman’s City Connect jersey. While the team’s star players held the top sales spots over the weekend, the organization confirmed that Schneider’s was the fourth most sold jersey. 

READ MORE: Blue Jays unveil new jerseys at launch party in downtown Toronto

Toronto Blue Jays’ Davis Schneider hits a game-winning two-run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during fourteenth inning interleague MLB baseball action in Toronto, Friday, May 31, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

“Fan response to the City Connect uniform has been amazing, and we’ve seen that reflected in traffic at Jays Shop […] before and during the games,” a spokesperson for the team told CTV New in a statement.

“The top jersey sales have been Guerrero Jr. and Bichette, followed by Springer and Schneider,” they continued.

As part of the City Connect release, Guerrero Jr., Springer, and Bichette were the only three player names offered on jerseys purchased online, while in-store purchases could be customized with any player’s name. As of Saturday afternoon, over 100 fans were waiting for Schneider jerseys at the Rogers Centre Jays’ shop.

While Schneider has been one of the Jays’ most impactful hitters since being called up in 2023, his journey to the major leagues didn’t come easily. Drafted as a 28th-round pick in 2017, the 25-year-old from New Jersey said he had nearly given up on his dream of an MLB future when his fate changed last August.

“I was playing [in the minors] like once a week,” Schneider told CTV News Toronto from the dugout shortly after he was called up. “And when I got to play, I was terrible.”

“Luckily, I stuck it out,” he continued; in his first at-bat after being called up for the Jays, on Aug. 4, Schneider hit a home run against the Boston Red Sox and – didn’t stop. At that Fenway Park series, he made MLB history, becoming the first player in the sport’s history 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 that way. I didn’t even expect to play three games in a row,” he said.

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)

Shortly after the series against the Red Sox, Schneider said pitching coach Pete Walker turned to him and teased, ‘Our season is depending on you, so you better do well.’”

And so far, he has. This season, Schneider is hitting .245/.354/.470 with seven homers, three steals, 25 runs and 29 RBI in 49 contests.

The Jays will play 15 home games in their City Connect jerseys this season. The collection can be found online, through official MLB retailers, and at the Jays Shop.