This story was excerpted from Keegan Matheson’s Blue Jays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

For every highly ranked generational power hitter and future ace prospect who doesn’t quite pan out, there’s a Davis Schneider. It’s that hope of being surprised someday that makes the hits-and-misses worthwhile.

Schneider barely snuck onto the back end of our Blue Jays Top 30 list to open the season. Each year, there’s a player in the system we have to circle and say, “we need to find a spot for this guy, because people in the organization won’t shut up about them.” That was Schneider, and eventually, you saw why. 

Schneider’s historic debut at Fenway Park was a feel-good story dropped into the middle of a season that needed one. His playing time wasn’t always consistent and those numbers faded down the stretch, but Schneider finished with a 1.007 OPS and eight home runs over 35 games, showing the ability to pull the ball in the air that this team desperately needed. 

That’s why Schneider’s debut created such an immediate cult following. It wasn’t just the story of a 28th-rounder who took the long road, the mustache or the Nike Dad Shoes, it was that Schneider represented what Blue Jays fans had spent all season wanting more of, but in the most unexpected of ways. 

Now, the Blue Jays need to find another Schneider … and another … and another. 

That’s how great organizations sustain winning, and it’s what the Blue Jays need to do over the next two seasons to keep their window open while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette approach free agency. The Blue Jays have an opening at third base and in left field, assuming Daulton Varsho slides over for Kevin Kiermaier. There should also be a vacancy at second base, assuming Whit Merrifield’s $18 million mutual option isn’t picked up, so Schneider could walk into Spring Training next February with a shot to win a legitimate role on the 2024 team.

Beyond Schneider, here’s a look at what else stood out from the 2023 season in the Minors:

3 PLAYERS WHO FORCED THEIR WAY ONTO THE RADAR IN 2023

INF Leo Jimenez (No. 6)

The Blue Jays finally saw the leap they’ve been waiting on from Jimenez, whose start in Double-A launched him up our Top 30 list. A solid defender who you could comfortably roll out as a big-league shortstop tomorrow, Jimenez’s offensive game has started to catch up, batting .287 with an .808 OPS in Double-A.

His brief taste of Triple-A didn’t go as well (.576 OPS over 18 games), but Jimenez is still just 22 and should open with the Bisons in 2024. Other teams took notice of Jimenez’s strong season, too, with his name coming up in Trade Deadline conversations, and that will only continue if the Blue Jays hit the trade market this winter. 

OF Alan Roden (No. 7)

The Blue Jays love Roden, and so will you. The third-rounder from 2022 is an on-base machine, posting a .430 OBP between High-A and Double-A this season. Internally, the Blue Jays believe there’s more power in Roden’s bat than the 10 home runs he hit over 115 games, too. 

Roden is a corner outfielder and should open the season in Triple-A, but he could be a big-league option by midseason, particularly if the Blue Jays don’t land a long-term solution in left. This is the exact “type” of hitter that this front office and player development want to churn out more of. You’ll hear Roden’s name a lot this spring. 

1B Spencer Horwitz (No. 16)

Horwitz, you’ve met. After a brief debut earlier in the season, the lefty-hitting first baseman joined the Blue Jays for the stretch run and, like Schneider, should enter camp next spring with a shot at a more permanent job. With Brandon Belt a free agent and unsure about what his playing future holds, Horwitz should be next in line and has earned that. 

Like Roden, Horwitz is an OBP monster. He hit .337 with a .450 on-base percentage in Triple-A Buffalo last season, and even with Triple-A numbers being inflated, the Blue Jays believe that top-end trait will transfer to the big leagues. Neither Roden nor Horwitz solve the Blue Jays’ power problem -- Horwitz hit just 10 in 107 Triple-A games -- but their unique offensive profiles bring legitimate value.

2 POSSIBLE BREAKOUT PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2024

RHP Landen Maroudis (No. 8)

The Blue Jays paid nearly triple his slot bonus to sign Maroudis as a fourth-round pick in 2023 for a reason. After also playing shortstop in high school, Maroudis is now focused solely on pitching and should benefit greatly from the club’s new player development complex. It doesn’t need to show in the stat line right away, but Maroudis could take an exciting jump, physically, in his first pro season.

OF Enmanuel Bonilla (No. 24)

Signed for $4.1 million and dripping with offensive upside, Bonilla one of the best bets in this system to break out at some point over the next year or two. Coming off a strong start to his pro career in the Dominican Summer League (.836 OPS over 50 games), Bonilla, who will turn 18 before camp opens, could make his Complex League debut in 2024.

1 BIG QUESTION FOR NEXT SEASON

Is No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann the real deal?

There it is, one of those big, broad prospect questions that could have such a significant impact on a big-league club. It’s a scary thought. 

Tiedemann’s 2023 season was shortened by injuries and he never truly had an opportunity to find a groove, but he’s looked great in the Arizona Fall League, posting a 2.50 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 18 innings. 

Expect Tiedemann to start in Triple-A, but he’ll be one of the single biggest stories of Spring Training and the Blue Jays would love for him to kick the door down. There are a million miles between Tiedemann’s ceiling and floor, like any top-end pitching prospect, but he makes it easy to dream on that ceiling.