Toronto Blue Jays have one man to thank for their success this season
Photo credit: Chris Young/Sportsnet
The Toronto Blue Jays are continuing their reign in the AL East this season, one of the biggest reasons for that is the hiring of David Popkins last winter to be the hitting coach, he has turned the worst batting team in the MLB to the best in baseball.
Of the eight returning players from last season, four of them have improved their batting average, a 50% improvement is nothing to shy away from.
David Popkins deserves all the credit in the world for Toronto Blue Jays hitting prowess.
Rosie DiManno of the Toronto Star covered a story about the man with an obsession. That man is hitting coach David Popkins for the Blue Jays, and his obsession; hitting a ball hard with a bat.
"Serendipitously for the Jays, as it's turned out. Transfiguring from batting average cellar mice in the American League East in 2024, bottoming out with their fewest runs scored since 1997, to loftiest in all of Major League Baseball right now under the tutelage of Popkins and assistants Lou Iannotti and Hunter Mense."-DiManno
"With a penthouse view atop the AL. Eight players who were here last year boast higher batting averages this year. Four Jays - Bo Bichette, George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk - are among the top 15 hitters in the game."-DiManno
Popkins biggest strength is individualizing his training to each player to tailor their needs, he doesn't give general advice, everyone processes things differently, their bodies move differently, and Popkins recognizes that.
"«He took a deep dive into me. What made me go, what made me work. Any information you can get is good. It's up to you to decipher it. He knows hitters and he understands players. When you have a guy who you trust - and I have the ultimate trust in him - it makes it easier to believe everything he says.«Pop has been able to resonate with pretty much everybody here.''-George Springer
The Toronto Blue Jays are in good hands with Popkins, knowing you have a guy who can maximize everyone's performance is an asset a team should keep for as along as they can.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 21 | 519 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays have one man to thank for their success this season Will the Toronto Blue Jays lead the postseason in hitting under David Popkins coaching? | ||
| Yes | 376 | 72.4 % |
| No | 143 | 27.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
