Conversations with the Herd: RJ Schreck

By: Brian Frank

Bisons outfielder RJ Schreck grew up in Los Angeles, California. After starring at Harvard-West Lake High School, he was able to realize a lifelong dream of playing baseball at Duke University.

“My mom and brother went there,” Schreck said of his decision to become a Blue Devil. “I had always loved the school. I had some communication early on in my career, but it fizzled out and I ended up getting in on my own. Once the coaching staff learned that I had gotten in, they asked if I wanted to walk on and try out. So, I was able to do that and live out my childhood dream.”

Schreck has a .904 OPS for the Herd this season. Photo Credit: Brian Frank

He played in 32 games his freshman year at Duke. His sophomore year in 2020 was cut short due to the pandemic. He returned for his junior season and slashed .337/.435/.635 with 18 home runs, helping to lead the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship and an NCAA tournament bid.

“That team in 2021 was pretty special,” Schreck recalled. “We went on a really fun run, and it was just a super deep team—playing with a lot of big leaguers that were on that team from 2020 and 2021 (including Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido). Just being a part of a team that was able to win the first ACC championship in school history… That was a really special team to be a part of.”

One of the more memorable games Schreck played that season came during the NCAA Regionals in a 14-6 win over Wright State in Knoxville, Tennessee. Schreck went 4-for-6 with three home runs, a double, and five RBIs—and also made an unbelievable defensive play—making a running, leaping catch to rob a Wright State player of a grand slam.

“It was really fun day, for sure, especially facing elimination in a regional," he remembered. "I have some fond memories playing over at Tennessee—also some heartbreaks. But it was a really special day. I wish we could have ended up winning the regional, but it is what it is.”

Schreck returned to Duke for the 2022 season and slashed .288/.401/.486 in 47 games. He then became a graduate transfer student at Vandebilt University, where he played one season for legendary coach Tim Corbin. Corbin has over 1,000 wins as a college coach, including winning the College World Series in 2014 and 2019.

“It was incredible,” Schreck said of playing for Corbin. “It was everything you'd hoped it to be—and more. I learned so much from him—that program taught me a lot—and I was able to turn it into a shot at professional baseball, which I will always cherish it. I will always thank him for giving me the opportunity to do something that they hadn't really done a lot of in the past. He was taking a chance on me, and I owe him a lot for that.”

Stepping into the batter's box at Sahlen Field. Photo Credit: Brian Frank, The Herd Chronicles

In his lone season at Vanderbilt, Schreck slashed .306/.454/.588 and drilled 14 home runs, helping to lead the Commodores to an NCAA Regional Final.  

“Really fun team,” Schreck said. “Tim Corbin talked a lot about how special and tight knit that team was. It was really fun to be a part of coming in as a transfer and only knowing a couple guys on the team and kind of developing a bond with all of them. I go back there every year for my offseason. They've done a really good job of making sure I feel at home there. I have nothing but the utmost respect for that program.”

Schreck was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the ninth round of the 2023 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Seattle Mariners. After playing a pair of games for Seattle’s Arizona Complex League team, he reported to Low-A Modesto in the California League, where he slashed .267/.343/.378 in 25 games.

“It was a lot harder than I expected mentally, but it was a really fun experience,” he said. “In 2023, I think we went 22–2 or 23–2 to finish the year. One of the most talented Low-A teams, I think probably ever—and definitely one of the most talented teams I’ve ever been a part of. The eight- and nine-hole hitters that year were me and this guy, Tatem (Levins) from Pittsburgh. Everybody else in that lineup combined for something like $15 million worth of signing bonuses. We had a lot of million-dollar arms on that team. There was a reason why we went 23–2 and won a championship that year. The coaching staff there does a phenomenal job of keeping everybody in line, teaching everybody about pro ball. There's a reason why they've all been promoted since then, and they've won another championship since then. That whole organization, I have nothing but fond memories for.”

Last season, Schreck posted an .865 OPS in 78 games at High-A Everett in the Northwest League, before being promoted to Double-A Arkansas in mid-July. After only eight games in Double-A, he was surprised to learn he’d been traded to the Blue Jays’ organization for veteran major leaguer Justin Turner.

“It was definitely a shock,” Schreck remembered. “The team that drafted you, you envision being with that team your whole career—but a lot of guys end up elsewhere for different reasons. I never expected it to be so soon. But like I said, I have nothing but the utmost respect for that organization. They gave me a shot, gave me every opportunity to succeed, and they did such a great job. But then you hear you’ve been traded and you're excited to go to a new organization—and Toronto has been much of the same. All the coaching staff has been great, all the higher ups have been great, and it's been nothing short of special. Anytime you get to play baseball for your job, it’s living the dream.”

On the base paths. Photo Credit: Brian Frank, The Herd Chronicles

The Blue Jays assigned Schreck to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats – where he joined several new players Toronto had acquired at the trade deadline.

“It was definitely a challenge,” he said of adjusting to a new team midseason. “But I want to give credit to a lot of the coaching staff and higher ups and to my teammates as well for making it seem a lot easier than maybe a lot of other guys have experienced. The locker room we had there was a bunch of fun guys that liked to play baseball. They really accepted me as one of their own super quickly. I just tried to finish out the season having fun and playing well. We had a lot of guys that got traded, which I think made it easier, because I think there were about five, six, or seven of us on that team together, and we all kind of bonded. It was a really fun experience.”

Schreck began this season with New Hampshire, where he slashed .266/.396/.518 with nine home runs in 41 games, before being promoted to Buffalo in early June. He’s overcome some minor injuries since joining the Herd to become one of the team’s most successful hitters. He’s currently slashing .280/.404/.500 with five home runs and a .904 OPS in 25 games in Triple-A.

“It's been a little frustrating with getting the flu and some minor injuries that I've had to go through, but overall it's been really fun,” he said. “I'm really excited for this final two month stretch to just go out, be healthy, and play. It's also really fun watching the major-league organization just absolutely kill it, leading the A.L. right now. A lot of those guys you were around all spring, and a lot of those guys played here—I played with them—and it's just really cool to watch them succeed as well.”