ORLANDO, Fla. -- David Popkins was named Baseball America’s 2025 Coach of the Year on Wednesday, a well-earned recognition for one of the most popular hitting coaches in the game.
Blue Jays fans have quickly become familiar with “Pop." Typically, when a hitting or pitching coach’s name is well-known in a city, it’s because a fanbase has grown frustrated with some part of the team’s performance, but Popkins’ first year in Toronto couldn’t have been further from that. He may be the lone hitting coach in baseball with his own fanbase.
Under Popkins, the Blue Jays’ offense grew into one of the best in baseball and crafted an identity of their own, which this organization had struggled to find since that power-hitting lineup in 2021 that featured Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Marcus Semien, Teoscar Hernández and others. This year’s group succeeded in so many different ways, though, which was exactly what Popkins envisioned when he came to the Blue Jays after his time with the Twins.
“My philosophy is built off of creativity,” Popkins said in the early days of Spring Training. “We’re trying to become the most creative lineup at scoring runs in baseball. We do that by practicing all of the different situations and clubs that we’re going to need in the game.”
This identity didn’t appear immediately, but by the middle of the season, everyone knew who the Blue Jays were. They were going to put the ball in play, wear you down and beat you with all nine spots in the batting order.
The Blue Jays led the Majors comfortably in batting average (.265) and on-base percentage (.333) while ranking third in OPS (.760). All of this came while the Blue Jays struck out fewer times than any team in baseball. Their 191 home runs, which ranked them in a tie for 11th, were more than enough to round out a balanced lineup that was just plain annoying to pitch against.
Popkins came with an impressive background in biomechanics, but his greatest strength is the relationship he builds with players, which comes easily through his infectious personality and non-stop energy in the dugout. Blue Jays players routinely commented on how much Popkins’ support meant to them, saying they felt fully supported and empowered by their hitting coach. Trust is crucial for a hitting or pitching coach, and Popkins earned that immediately.
While Vladdy and George Springer got the headlines, so much of Popkins’ best work happened with role players, some of whom grew into much more. He pushed Addison Barger to lean back into his natural approach, which helped unlock his tremendous talents again. Players like Ernie Clement, Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw all grew into key contributors at times, too.
The rest of the Blue Jays’ hitting staff deserves a share of this praise, too, including Hunter Mense, who is now with the Giants, and Lou Iannotti. Building a legitimate offensive identity is rare and challenging in baseball, but the Blue Jays -- led by Popkins and the Blue Jays’ hitting coaches -- created a blueprint that other teams are now going to be chasing.