Ex-Twins hitting coach David Popkins hired by Blue Jays in same role

Popkins and fellow hitting coaches Rudy Hernandez and Derek Shomon were let go by the Twins earlier this month, following the conclusion of a stunning late-season collapse that saw them miss the postseason.

Minnesota then hired Matt Borgschulte as its hitting coach. He was previously with the Twins' organization as a hitting coach at various minor league levels from 2018-21 before spending the last three seasons as the Baltimore Orioles' co-hitting coach. In hiring Borgschulte, they're essentially getting a do-over on the decision to hire Popkins over him in 2022.

The Twins had some good offensive seasons under Popkins, highlighted by a 2023 season where they hit 233 home runs (tied for third-most in the league) and had a .753 OPS (seventh). They were tenth in runs scored and 11th in OPS this past season, but they went ice cold on offense during their six-week collapse to end the season. The Twins averaged just 3.6 runs per game over their final 39 contests, going 12-27 in that span to miss the playoffs despite having over a 95 percent chance to make it on September 2. As a result, something had to change.

The Blue Jays were 23rd in runs scored and 18th in OPS in 2024.