Per projections, the Twins had a greater than 90% chance to win the American League Central in Aug. 2024 after winning their first postseason series in 21 years the season prior. However, Minnesota shockingly collapsed and missed the playoffs. As a response, the Twins fired hitting coach David Popkins after three seasons with the organization.
The Blue Jays then hired Popkins to be their hitting coach. With the help of Popkins, the Blue Jays led MLB in batting average (.265) and on-base percentage (.333) during the 2025 regular season. They also had the fewest strikeouts in the league.