"Popkins, hired in November 2021, oversaw Twins hitters for three years, helping guide an offense that ranked 11th in wRC+ and 13th in runs scored over the stretch despite major injuries to key players. Then he was made a scapegoat for the team's collapse out of postseason contention and fired after the 2024 season. His unemployment lasted less than three weeks before the Blue Jays plucked him in October."
"A year later, the Blue Jays advanced to the World Series as heavy underdogs against the organization that gave him his first coaching opportunity.Popkins has molded the Toronto offense into an unlikely juggernaut -- it finished fourth in the majors in runs scored during the regular season and has been the best group this postseason. The Blue Jays make the most contact in the majors and strike out the least."
David Popkins rose rapidly through coaching ranks, moving from High-A hitting coach to the Minnesota Twins' major league hitting coach at age 31. He oversaw Twins hitters from November 2021 for three seasons while the offense ranked 11th in wRC+ and 13th in runs despite major injuries. He was fired after the 2024 collapse and was unemployed less than three weeks before joining the Blue Jays. Working with assistants Hunter Mense and Lou Iannotti, he reshaped Toronto into a contact-oriented, disciplined offense that finished fourth in regular-season runs, excelled in the postseason, and struck out the least.
Read at ESPN.com
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