Jesse Barfield shares his thoughts on Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins
Photo credit: https://www.mlb.com/bluejays
Former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jesse Barfield praises clubs front office for hiring hitting coach David Popkins.
In October of 2024 the Blue Jays hired David Popkins as their new hitting coach.
In 2024, the Jays hit .241/.313/.389, scoring 4.14 runs per game.
In 2025, the Jays hit .265/.333/.427 scoring 4.93 runs per game.
The roster didn't change all that much and many of our batters had career or near career years.
In 2024, the Jays were 11th in runs scored.
In 2025, the Jays were second in the AL in runs score per game.
No matter how much of the improvement you attribute to Popkins, he deserves some recognition for his work in his first season with the Blue Jays.
Former Blue Jays slugger Jesse Barfield praises Toronto's front office for Popkins hiring
Not only did Jesse Barfield arguably have one of the best outfield arms in franchise history, he could swing the bat as well.
Barfield was the American League's home run king in 1986, when he clubbed 40 round-trippers, and a former coach.
So it's safe to say he knows knows a thing or three about hitting, and recognizes the adjustments the Blue Jays have made under Popkins tutelage.
Hiring Dave Popkins was one of the best moves this team has made! It has already paid off huge dividends this season for Toronto. Kudos to the Blue Jays Organization!
The Dodgers trained Popkins, now he hopes to use it against them in the World Series
Back in 2019 David Popkins spent many nights around tables with Will Rhymes, Josh Byrnes and Will Vandenberg «equally addicted hitting minds,» Popkins said.
They are now the Dodgers' player development vice president, senior VP of baseball operations and research scientist.
It's where he met Lou Iannotti, who is now the Blue Jays' assistant hitting coach.
He worked alongside Dustin Kelly and Keith Beauregard, who are now big league hitting coaches with the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers. The group, Popkins said, was hungry. The Dodgers fed them.
Popkins began to better use biomechanical swing tracking, figuring out if tweaks brought tangible results.
He developed a passion for changing swings, working with rehabbing players at Los Angeles' lowest levels.
He was promoted to hitting coach at High-A Great Lakes, helping the Loons lead their division in home runs, slugging percentage and OPS.
His stock, despite working with a low-minors affiliate, rose high. He received a call, asking him to interview for the Minnesota Twins hitting coach position.
«The Dodgers kind of give you the foundation to build off of,» Popkins said. «If you're hungry, and you have a mission and drive to impact careers and try to help people, good things typically tend to happen.»
Now, on baseball's biggest stage, the Dodgers meet Popkins once again.
In his first year with the Jays, the lineup finished fourth in runs scored, fourth in wRC+ and third in OPS.
They didn't finish top-12 in any of those metrics in 2024. Toronto's held this high-contact style for a few years. In 2025, it actually worked.
George Springer went from a below-average hitter to a potential MVP vote receiver.
Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes and Ernie Clement stepped into everyday roles.
If Toronto topples baseball's behemoth, it likely won't be because of better pitching or more creative roster management.
It will be because of Schneider, Popkins and his staff navigating each careful move, the Blue Jays' offence can keep up.
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