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Toronto Blue Jays cult hero hitting coach details fiery advice he gave George Springer before legendary home run

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
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Oct 23 2025, 8:30 pm
Toronto Blue Jays cult hero hitting coach details fiery advice he gave George Springer before legendary home run
Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images

With the Toronto Blue Jays’ run to the World Series, all sorts of people on and off the field have played a part in getting them there.

There’s been stellar pitching performances from Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage, there’s been home runs from George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and perhaps just a few lucky breaks from the baseball gods.

But one man who’s achieved cult hero status in his first year in Toronto is first-year hitting coach David Popkins, widely credited with helping to fuel an offensive turnaround this season.

Before Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at the Rogers Centre, Popkins got one of the loudest ovations from the Rogers Centre faithful, and likely the loudest among any of his fellow staff members outside of manager John Schneider.

“Very humbling, very humbling. Yeah, I couldn’t really believe it. I thought they might have said someone else’s name,” Popkins said in an interview with Offside. “The fans have been tremendous, so supportive, so appreciative. I couldn’t be more happy to be here working to bring a title back here for the people that live here.”

Popkins spent last year with the Minnesota Twins before being hired on October 21, 2024, almost exactly a year to the day that the Jays won the American League pennant.

And fans and media members alike have noticed changes under Popkins to several of Toronto’s biggest stars, including a massive turnaround from a postseason hero in Springer.

Springer’s go-ahead home run in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners has already worked its way into the stuff of Toronto sports legend.

And viewing it from the Jays’ dugout, Popkins was a part of a moment he or anyone involved will never forget.

“It was pretty incredible,” he admits.

While Popkins has been giving Springer and the rest of the lineup all sorts of hitting pointers all season long, his advice to the eventual on-field hero was a bit more personal.

Mariners fans in Seattle had a long history with Springer, dating back to his days as a member of the divisional rival Houston Astros. Still seemingly having beef with Springer due to the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal during the 2017 season, several fans were heard cheering when Springer went down in a heap after being hit by a pitch in Seattle in Game 5.

“I told him the whole time that, you know, once they cheered for him being injured, ‘karma always collects’. It was pretty fitting that he was the one to hit that home run,” he said.

Game 1 of the World Series goes Friday night in Toronto, with the Blue Jays taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers. No word yet on what the baseball gods have in store for that one.

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