Daniel Schneemann was always an unlikely candidate from the moment he was called up to the show. Back in May I did a dive into his early season offensive heroics and even made an argument for Schneemann’s
place in the All-Star Game. In 2025 Daniel Schneemann became a load bearing utility player that allowed the Guardians to stay above water long enough for Brayan Rocchio to make adjustments in Triple A Columbus. Schneemann provided a strong enough defense that José Ramírez was able to DH, leaving third base in good defensive hands. He strung together a strong enough 2025 season to earn him a Rawlings Gold Glove nomination as a utility player.
In my May article I ended the analysis asking if the Schneemann we saw in May was sustainable. Offensively, things plateaued for the Snowman. His .822 OPS May ended up being an outlier, with his 2nd half OPS settling out to .577. An unfortunate slump in June and September (57 wRC+ and 10 wRC+) exposed Schneemann as a weak hitter in a lineup already overstocked in weak hitters. His occasional timely home run or RBI single kept the Guardians alive in late innings and showing a lot of success when the ball was put into play (.263 BABIP). But a low walk rate (9%) and high strikeout rate (27.7%) brought his offensive value down. Schneemann ended the season posting a .206/.283/.354 with 79wRC+ and 1.3 WAR, by all means a below average player. But what Schneemann lacks in offense, he more than made up for on the other side of the plate.
Schneemann played six defensive positions in the 2025 season; 74 games at 2B, 27 games at 3B, 24 games in CF, 15 games in RF, 11 games at SS, and 5 games in LF. In 2025, Daniel only committed two errors, both at 2nd. He still had a .991 fielding percentage at the position, every other position sitting at 1.000 FP. In his 514.2 innings played at 2B, he put up 5 outs above average and 3 defensive runs saved. LF (0) and CF (-1) were the only two positions where he did not post a positive OAA of the six positions played.
What can the Guardians do with a super utility player with a weak bat? David Fry’s return in 2026 could see Schneemann’s playing time drastically decrease. However, a key trade could see Schneemann once again become a player the Guardians rely on to bridge the gap until some prospects, say Travis Bazzana, are ready to debut. Schneemann is not eligible for arbitration until 2028 and is currently making just above league minimum. He has 3 MiLB options remaining entering his year 29 season. His on field versatility is more than enough to earn himself a place in the line up if the club can make a move for another bat or two to bring in more power. He is the perfect player to keep on the bench to come in and PR or as a defense replacement and is reliable enough to draw a walk or put a run in play in the bottom of the lineup.
While his offense points to someone the Guardians should drop going into 2026, his defense more than earns him a spot on the 26 man. If the front office can improve the lineup, having a player like Schneemann be your weakest bench piece still leaves you in a great position.
