Mets Tab Former Phillies C Brian Schneider to Coaching Staff

Former Phillies catcher Brian Schneider has been promoted to the Mets’ major-league coaching staff under new manager Luis Rojas.

Just a little over one month since being named manager of the New York Mets’ Triple-A Syracuse affiliate, the Philadelphia Phillies’ division rival has promoted their former catcher, Brian Schneider, to the major-league staff as quality control coach.

Under his new role, Schneider, 43, will oversee catching instruction, along with acting as a “conduit” between the Mets front office, coaching staff and players on issues, including game preparation, strategy and analytics.

Schneider had replaced Tony DeFrancesco as the Mets’ Triple-A manager; now, both will be on the organization’s 2020 major league field staff under recently named manager Luis Rojas, who replaced Carlos Beltran amid the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. DeFrancesco will serve as first base and outfield coach, as well as a baserunning instructor. Rojas served as the Mets quality control coach last season.

Prior to joining the Mets organization this offseason, Schneider had served as catching coach for the Miami Marlins; in 2014, less than two years after retirement from his playing career, he managed the Marlins’ Class A-Advanced affiliate, the Jupiter Hammerheads, of the Florida State League.

Schneider served as backup catcher to Carlos Ruiz during the 2010-12 Phillies seasons. The former 13-year veteran catcher played 122 games with the Phillies across the 2010-12 seasons.

In red pinstripes, Schneider slashed .212/.295/.327 with 13 doubles, eight home runs, 31 RBI, 35 walks, and 75 strikeouts spanning 384 plate appearances. Behind the plate, he committed just three errors spanning 870 2/3 innings. The Jacksonville, Florida, native also played for the Montreal Expos (2000-04), Washington Nationals (2005-07), and Mets (2008-09).

According to Syracuse.com’s Lindsay Kramer, Schneider produced a career caught stealing percentage of 36 percent, throwing out 201 of 606 potential base stealers. And, among catchers to appear in at least 750 games, Schneider’s lifetime caught stealing percentage ranks 30th in MLB history.

Schneider not only reunites with the Mets organization, but also their current major-league GM Brodie Van Wagenen, who was his agent during his playing career.

Schneider caught three games and 22 innings thrown by Roy Halladay during his 2010 National League Cy Young-Award winning season; the Phillies ace combined to post a 3.27 ERA and 11.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio with Schneider at the backstop, as opposed to the 2.13 ERA and 7.42 ratio with Ruiz. The Phillies will retire Halladay’s No. 34 on the 10-year anniversary of his perfect game this May.