Toronto Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins makes interesting remarks on Anthony Santander
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Victor William
Jan 19, 2026 (11:17)
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Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
During a recent podcast, Toronto Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins spoke about slugger Anthony Santander and his current state.
On Monday, a story highlighted Popkins talking up Santander's comeback, calling it a «vengeance tour» moment after everything went sideways in 2025. Popkins' point was simple, the work is real, and the hunger is real.
That optimism has to fight last season's stat line. Santander played 54 games and hit .175 with six home runs, 18 RBIs, and a .565 OPS, which is the definition of a first-year flop on a new deal.
The context matters, because the year wasn't just ugly, it was interrupted. MLB.com reported Santander's left shoulder injury lingered for months, and he later got knocked out of the ALCS with a back issue.
«He's a hard worker; he really had a lot of things physically going on that made it tough for him,» Popkins said to Gate 14. «If you watch him, he gets into the cage, he's taking a lot of swings, he knows what he wants to work on, (and) he knows what has worked for him in the past." -David Popkins
Toronto also can't just shrug and move on, because the commitment is real. Santander's contract is at five years and $92.5 million, so the Blue Jays need middle-of-the-order impact, not a rehab story.
Santander has definitely seen some trade rumors floated his way this off-season but it looks like there is a good chance he at least starts the season in Toronto.
David Popkins, Anthony Santander, and Toronto Blue Jays pressure
As a fan, I'm buying the bounce-back talk, but I'm bracing for the first cold week when every strikeout gets booed.
Popkins is betting on process, not vibes, and that's the right lane for a hitting coach. Santander has always been at his best when he stays on fastballs he can drive, then lives with the swing-and-miss that comes with it.
The Jays' bigger challenge is fitting him into a lineup that already has several at-bat priorities.
If Santander is healthy, he has to be more than a part-time DH, because the roster construction starts to wobble when your big-ticket bat is a specialist.
My take is this is a fair gamble, but it needs a firm plan in March.
The Blue Jays need Santander show up healthy, take regular reps, and make April feel like a fresh start instead of a rerun.
Also read on Toronto Baseball Insider :
Toronto Blue Jays come out unsuccessful in completed trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Toronto Blue Jays come out unsuccessful in completed trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 19|416 ANSWERS Toronto Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins makes interesting remarks on Anthony Santander Do you believe David Popkins is right about Anthony Santander's 2026 bounce-back for the Toronto Blue Jays? | ||
| Yes bounce back | 227 | 54.6 % |
| No way | 46 | 11.1 % |
| Health decides | 102 | 24.5 % |
| Wait April | 41 | 9.9 % |
| List of polls | ||