The Blue Jays announced today that they have hired David Popkins as their new hitting coach. It was reported a few weeks back that the Jays were parting ways with previous hitting coach Guillermo Martinez.
“David’s ability to game plan and connect with players in different ways is a really exciting addition to our coaching staff,” said manager John Schneider in the club’s press release, relayed by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com on X. “He’s a true expert in all types of hitting information and will help our offensive strategy for each game. We’re looking forward to the instant impact of his relentless work ethic.”
Popkins was the hitting coach of the Twins for the past three years, but his contract ended after 2024 and it was reported a few weeks back that it wouldn’t be renewed, sending him to the open market.
In 2022, the Twins hit a collective .248/.317/.401 for a wRC+ of 106, putting them 10th in the majors. Despite that strong offense, the club finished 78-84 but fared better the following year. In 2023, the team hit .243/.326/.428 for a 108 wRC+, tied for sixth in the majors. That helped them put up a record of 87-75, winning the American League Central. The Twins defeated Popkins’ new club in the Wild Card round, sweeping the Blue Jays two games to none before being defeated by the Astros in the Division Series.
2024 was trending towards being another strong season in Minnesota but the club collapsed in the second half. They were holding a postseason spot for most of the campaign but went 9-18 in September and missed out.
The offense still performed fairly well overall, with a collective line of .246/.315/.411 and a 107 wRC+ that was ninth in the league. The bats did wilt as they club was collapsing, with the Twins hitting .218/.285/.338 for a 78 wRC+ in September, though injuries may have played a role there. Key players like Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Brooks Lee, Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner and José Miranda all spent at least part of September on the injured list.
It is always difficult to separate the performances of the players from the coaching staff, but the Twins are coming off three straight seasons of above-average offense with Popkins as their hitting coach.
The Toronto offense has been trending down a bit of late. In 2022, the club hit .264/.329/.431 for a 118 wRC+, second only to the Yankees. Last year, they dropped to a .256/.329/.417 line and 107 wRC+, eighth in the majors. Here in 2024, they were barely above average, with a .241/.313/.389 line and 101 wRC+. The club has decided to make some coaching adjustments that will hopefully turn that trend around, though improving the roster via free agency and trade will be the more important factor.
I’m David Popkins and I’m gonna scare the hits out of you! Any questions?
Ahhhh!!
@Naylor01
I made boom boom in my britches!!!
Beat me to it!
I’m just trying to wrap my head around, David Pumpkins? I mean, are we supposed to know who that is?
Is he from a local commercial?
Brother to Mary Popkins. He’s gonna try the spoonful of “sugar” method.
David pumpkins skit from SNL
@Human Being
Google it and LAUGH!
Tom Hanks Halloween character from SNL. It was popular enough to spawn his own animated special.
David S. Popkins!
Does that make him “The Great S. Popkins”?
(Too bad his middle initial is J & not S – yes, I had to check)
And why did he suddenly get a middle initial? So many questions
Any chance they could hire Mike Trout’s dad.? Or does that assume the player needs to have generational skill/talent?
Mary who? Oh, Popkins!
Blue Jays fans, from a Twins fan to you: I am so sorry.
Blue Jays best players are suddenly going to be making endless trips to the IL.
Turning into “pumpkins”…
Wonderful. Nothing like picking up other team’s rejects to ignite the fanbase and helping entice those big name free agents.
Here we go again…another off season of mediocrity at best.
There was no one to promote from Buffalo?
Time to replace Shatkins.
A no name from Buffalo was not going to entice free agents either. $$$$$ is what entices.
Atkins hires Popkins. We have all the Kins!
A bit nervous when they talk about game planning and hitting information.
Sounds like another dude with a spreadsheet. They need someone who can teach some of these guys how to connect the bat with the ball.
Move logs. Take in furniture. Bring up Christmas.
How are you going to get major league hitters to buy-in and listen and take pointers from a guy named David Popkins who most likely has not achieved one iota of what they have achieved at the major league level?? Has this guy succeeded at hitting professionally at even the college level, low minors?? That’s the thing with these no-name “batting coach” spreadsheet driven data guys in their 30’s that teams think it’s trendy to hire these days. I just don’t see how major league hitters would give them the time of day due to their lack of any kind of playing career/hitting success where it actually counts.
As a player, according to wiki…he did reach AA….but most success came at high A…great…
Your mlbtr name is perfect!
Hearing it from the mouth of “offensive coordinator” Don Mattingly wasn’t working last year, so I don’t think it’s the messenger, it’s the message. Or the excessive number of messengers. At any rate, the Jays still have 17 other hitting coach assistants who Popkins can relay his information through if players would rather listen to them.
The reality is, the only one of their whole offensive staff with a track record of results is Matt Hague. He should’ve been promoted to boss of the too-large group.
I heard from somebody, maybe it was Jeff Blair, that the last time the team was really hitting on all cylinders was when Dante Bichette was hanging out. Not even sure if he was an official coach or just there to help his son. Thought that was interesting tidbit.
Is this the same David S. Pumpkins on Saturday Night Live?
It is
And the skeletons are?
The Pikins had a Top 10 hit back in the 70’s with “Gimme Dat Ding”
Let’s hear it in the clubhouse!
Was Mary his grandmother?
It’s worth noting that the downward ‘trend’ of the Blue Jays offense over the last 3 seasons probably has a lot more to do with the roster then the hitting coach. 3 years ago, the Jays had a 4 headed offensive attack consisting of Vlad Jr., Bichette, Teoscar, and Gurriel Jr.
After that season, management thought it would be clever to exchange half that attack for two glove only outfielders (Varsho and Kiermaier).
It’s really hard to know how much blame belongs with a coach when the offensive talent level on the field plummets that far.
Ya that’s why I didn’t really get all the hate Martinez got. He had a top offense, and then all of a sudden trade some middle of the order bats and they aren’t a top offense any more. I’m not going to hold that against him. Hitting coaches aren’t going to fundamentally change hitters, especially at the major league level. They make tweaks and adjustments. The real fundamental coaching comes in college and the minors.
Yes!
The players should be prepared to hit when they arrive at the show.
Seems to me that an “ex-pitcher” who can break down opposing pitchers and look for pitching trends would have more insight into how the ball travels, etc…
They would also know how to not give pitchers the “one up” by pointing out what signals the batters are giving.
just sayin’…
Canuckleball;
I followed Shapiro closely in his Cleveland years. He had “his guys” and sacrificed a coach or an assistant FO guy here and there when it became clear after a season that the team was going in circles or backwards. It took a lot to replace the manager. The problem was that no one was allowed to know more about baseball than Shapiro…and most candidates surely did. Somehow Francona slipped through when the Red Sox screwed him, and since Terry had worked with the Indians for a year or two as an advisor Shapiro knew he wouldn’t buck heads with him. That’s when rhe turnaround of the franchise began, which accelerated when ownership kicked Shapiro upstairs to the business side and later recommended him to Jays management to run their organization.
The blaming it on a subordinate is nothing new in the world. The primarily consideration of a bureaucrat is to assure they still have a job next week. (Note that politicians around the world are bureaucrats – as opposed to dictators and royalty.) Mark Shapiro is a bureaucrat…as opposed to say….Pat Gillick. Am sure it’s amazing to Jays fans that the manager and GM remain, but that’s how the game is played.
I do think with Vlad Jr.’s FA coming up after 2025 something will give with ownership. Am sure they’re already discussing whether they trade him this offseason or at the deadline. Bichette means a lot to some fans. He’s really not that big a deal one way or the other.
Seems like it always boils down to dollars.
However; I would think that the Guardians ownership were quite pleased with the gate receipts from the last couple of weeks, compared to the crowds (not) down at the Skydome.
bestone;
How does it come down to dollars?
The Jays were 7th in MLB team payrolls in 2024.
The Guardians were 28th.
Your point?
Bestone mlb takes all playoff revenue and the host team gets a split of it including behind the plate ads, all ticket and gate revenue the like. Team only controls their home in the regular season
Still more than the Jays split this year….(sorry…I’m just a wounded fan)
No apologies required ive been wounded since the departure of AA. Can’t wait for the day Shatkins and Co are canned.
Will he add some pop to this offense?
@Lindor’s Bodyguard
Pop is a bullpen pitcher *w
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again?
“I think I can, I think I can…”
Didn’t the BAD GM shapiro and his lackie atkins, just fire a guy like this ??
The Nightmare in Toronto continues….
Until there is a top down house cleaning no Blue Jays news really matters. I would go farther and say, until there is new ownership, ownership that cares or cares enough to hire someone who cares (a Paul Beeston type guy) then this franchise is doomed to be what it is, a second or third tier team.