Blue Jays' new hitting coach is what this roster needs based on All-Star's comments

Even though the MLB offseason and free agency haven't officially kicked off, with the World Series still to play out, the Toronto Blue Jays have already made a major addition to the big league team. Hiring David Popkins as the new hitting coach earlier this week was a swift, bold move that filled the vacancy left after Guillermo Martinez's departure.

With a Blue Jays offense that struggled to muster much of anything over the last two seasons under Martinez's influence, a fresh voice was needed. They finished 23rd with 671 runs scored and 18th with a .703 OPS in 2024. Those numbers aren't going to cut it in the cut-throat AL East.

Blue Jays' new hitting coach is what this roster needs based on Carlos Correa's comments

The Blue Jays are hopeful that Popkins can help resuscitate the bats, but why should we be optimistic that the newcomer can squeeze any more juice out of this rock of an offense?

When Popkins was let go by the Twins at the beginning of October, one of his now former charges, Carlos Correa, gave a glowing endorsement (subscription required), according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

“Definitely learned a lot about my swing, learned a lot about my approach, learned a lot about just the game in general,” Correa said, per Hayes. “Popkins helped me understand myself a little better. A .900 OPS for some people comes with homers and walks. For me, it comes with being a little more creative and he helped me understand that I don’t have to hit a home run every at-bat. Pop has been a huge help for me and I’m grateful that I came to this organization and he was my hitting coach.”

That's an encouraging endorsement from a veteran player who, in 2024, posted his highest OPS since 2019 and was named to his first All-Star team since 2021. Correa only played 86 games, but he made them count. He lowered his strikeout rate (16.6 percent) to the best rate of his career while batting .310/.388/.517 for a 155 wRC+.

Not every Blue Jays hitter has the ability of a Carlos Correa. Still, his comments are encouraging for the roster as currently constructed.

Blue Jays have talent but not many proven power bats to work with

Aside from the few true veterans left, the lineup is young and inexperienced — Popkins has his work cut out for him. Of the 10 Toronto hitters who had at least 200 plate appearances (and are still with the team), only one had an OPS over .800 this past season. After Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s .940 OPS, the highest mark belonged to Spencer Horwitz's .790.

Creatively generating offense will help this group that, outside of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., doesn't have traditional big-bopper home run power. If Orelvis Martinez gets a chance to play next season, he's really the only other legitimate 30-home run power threat the Jays currently feature, but he has yet to prove anything at the MLB level.

The Blue Jays finished with the third-fewest home runs in the American League this season. In the two months following the trade deadline, with many veterans cast off, they finished with the fourth-fewest dingers.

There's hope, though, as Popkins has talent to work with. The Jays didn't strike out — only 21 percent with the revamped lineup after the deadline. That was tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the second-best rate in the AL. However, the young Blue Jays hitters need some guidance in getting the most bang for their buck when making contact, as evidenced by their 43.6 percent AL-worst ground ball rate and 11th-ranked hard-hit rate.

For a veteran like George Springer, who isn't the same hitter he was three years ago, Popkins' fresh approach will hopefully maximize what he can still do. It might just be the recipe to make him a potent leadoff man again in 2025.

There's a long offseason ahead. Hopefully, the front office will bring in proven, potent power bats, but for the remaining players, it sounds like Popkins will be able to help them get the most out of their skill sets.