As the Jays are getting prepared for their first World Series appearances since 1993, the noise around the Dodgers could not be louder. As per multiple MLB insiders, the Dodgers are the dominant champions, with the team’s star-loaded lineup and intense rotation. Yet, John Schneider thinks that the Blue Jays are prepared to drown out the Dodgers’ supremacy.

“The one thing we cannot do is look over there and say ‘That is Goliath.’ Keegan Matheson posted the manager’s words on X. “That is a beatable baseball team that has its flaws and also its really, really good strengths,” the post read further. 

As per an ESPN survey of 19 MLB scouts, executives, and managers, 18 chose the Dodgers as a winner. Most highlighted that Dave Roberts’ deep rotation guided by Ohtani and Blake Snell as the difference-maker. They also labeled the battle between the Dodgers and the Jays a “David vs. Goliath.” One NL scout even remarked with confidence, “The Dodgers will ride their starting pitching to another title in five games.”

However, the Jays manager was clear with his stance: The data does not intimidate his team. They have managed to overcome larger issues, and their roster is not established on hype but on resilience. Behind Guerrero Jr.’s red-hot power and an elite defense, they think it has the formula to identify the Dodgers’ vulnerability.

And multiple insiders think that the Jays’ scope hinges on execution, not expectation.

As one scout from the AL said to ESPN, “The Blue Jays’ lineup can wear down good pitching… the Dodger defense is going to get tested.” That echoes the narrative of the manager who has been preaching: Stretch every inning, grind out every at-bat, and force the Dodgers into an uncomfortable place.

Meanwhile, Schneider’s current statements have taken us down memory lane.

John Schneider’s Shohei Ohtani dig

Before Game 1, the Jays manager jokingly talked about Shohei Ohtani, “I’ll say it again, I hope he brought his hat.” He continued, “The Blue Jays hat that he took from us in our meeting, I hope he brought it back, finally. And the jacket for (his dog) Decoy. You know, it’s like ‘give us our stuff back already.”

Just two years ago, Shotime was insanely close to moving to Toronto. Reportedly, there was a secret tour of the Jays’ complex, along with tailored gear, jerseys, and accessories for Ohtani. That also included a jacket for the internet’s favorite Decoy.

But in the end, LA snatched the two-way phenom, igniting a deep-seated rivalry. Yet, while wanting the gear back, John Schneider didn’t forget to praise the star.

“But you never really know what a player is feeling in free agency. There’s a lot of things that have to line up for them personally, too. So, you can’t really think about what-if. You think about the 26 that we have. He’s a great player.” And finally, for the skipper, “things worked out the way they meant to work out.”

In a postseason highlighted by mental stress as much as skill, providing a team, like the Dodgers, extra inspiration is hardly wise. And now, with John Schneider’s confidence, all are looking at the Jays.