Blue Jays’ Davis Schneider is using a Dodgers’ star’s batting stance in the World Series after 25 changes
Imitation is the highest form of flattery.
At least, that’s what they say. And that must be how Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider feels about batting stances.
Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith shared a few great nuggets in an article over the weekend. The first is that Schneider uses between 20 and 25 different batting stances over the course of a season.
“Bobby Witt Jr., Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton — he’s tried every one of their stances,” Nicholson-Smith writes. “Even left-handed hitters like Bryce Harper get the Schneider treatment if he’s feeling inspired. It’s fun for him, and it works… His thinking: if a setup works for one of the game’s elite hitters, maybe it’ll help him, too.”
MORE: Jonas Brothers make a surprise World Series appearance
The best part of this: Schneider is currently imitating a Los Angeles Dodgers star while the Blue Jays take on the Dodgers in the World Series.
He’s mimicking the stance of L.A. catcher Will Smith, another right-handed hitter.
“Everyone’s got their own style,” Smith told Nicholson-Smith. “But you always take an idea or concept that you see from somebody else, so it’s not surprising that guys are feeding off each other to find success.”
Smith shared that he’s drawn inspiration for his own stance from Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, so he understands that everyone’s batting stance is a work in progress based on plenty of factors.
Schneider didn’t get a hit in Game 1 of the World Series, and he might only be limited to action when the Dodgers have a left-handed pitcher on the mound. But each time he gets in there, Dodgers catcher Smith likely sees something that looks oddly familiar standing in that batter’s box right in front of him.
More World Series news:
