David Popkins is HIM, just like we predicted

It felt like a reach to some back in the spring when it was suggested that David Popkins, fresh off a firing in Minnesota, might be the perfect tonic for a sputtering Toronto Blue Jays offense. But here we are in July, and the Blue Jays, who looked like they were taking hacks with pool noodles back in April, are suddenly one of the hottest hitting teams in baseball.

They didn’t sign a new superstar or retool the lineup (yet) with some loud trades. They just started hitting and the fingerprints are Popkins’. All over the place. Let’s break it down because it's important to acknowledge the Blue Jays success, and toot our own horns once in a while.

30 days that smell like David Popkins-brand cologne

The Blue Jays are 18–9 since June 6. During that stretch, they rank:
4th in MLB in runs (139)
5th in hits (242)
4th in RBI (131)
3rd in batting average and OBP
FIRST PLACE in strikeouts

This isn’t just a team catching fire, but rather stats that show a maturation of a new approach to hitting. Popkins’ philosophy, which emphasizes creativity, adaptability, unique communication with the athletes, and situational awareness, isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s translating into patient at-bats, fewer empty swings, and a lot more crooked numbers on the scoreboard.

George Springer renaissance

You can feel George Springer starting to hunt again. Springer’s OPS was sitting at a modest .715 in mid-May. Now? It’s nearly .900. Over the past 10 games, he’s hitting .457 with four home runs, 15 RBI, and even his outs are loud.

He’s controlling the zone again, jumping early on pitches in the zone but still laying off the breaking ball in the dirt that ate him alive last season. Popkins didn’t reinvent Springer, he just reminded him who he was and let the approach follow.

PS. I was sitting behind home plate on Canada Day for Springer's grand slam and I can definitively say that something about that day felt different. Hopefully I can explain what I mean a couple of rounds into the playoffs.

Ernie Clement might be the most Popkins guy ever

There’s no hitter on the roster more emblematic of this new identity than Ernie Clement. For the longest time, almost nobody talked about him and, yet, he’s quietly become one of the most valuable players on the team, sporting a .298 average, low strikeout rate, and a WAR that has him right there with Toronto’s big-ticket names.

Clement isn’t a launch-angle guy. He’s a grinder. But Popkins’ approach of empowering players to be themselves without obsessing over exit velo leaderboard has given Clement room to thrive.

He’s proof that you don’t need 30 home runs to matter. You just need to understand the moment, attack the pitch, and trust your plan. Clement does all three.

Addison Barger has taken the next step in his development

Then there’s Barger, a player who probably doesn’t get meaningful big league ABs this year in most organizations. But Popkins, and the rest of this staff, created a context for him to contribute early.

Since getting consistent reps, Barger has shown the power-pop many predicted (.447 slugging in the past 3 weeks), but it’s his selectivity that’s been most impressive. His walk rate is trending up, and his ability to spoil tough pitches and get into hitter’s counts is the kind of subtle thing that doesn’t make highlight reels but wins games over 162.

He looks like a player who understands who he is and who he isn’t. That’s culture. That’s coaching. And that's becoming the stamp of Popkins on guys up and down this lineup.

What this all really means for the Blue Jays

Popkins wasn’t brought in to teach these guys how to swing. He was brought in to teach them to better read when to swing and how to build an indentity at the plate. It's clear that we’re seeing the downstream effects day-after-day now.

They’re chasing less, and hitting with runners in scoring position more, while the “big inning” has returned to the Jays’ identity. They’re not doing it by slugging their way out of trouble, but by stringing together tough at-bats and pressuring pitchers and defenses into mistakes.

It’s subtle and won’t win any HR Derby contests, but it will win games...just as predicted