#hitting-coach

#hitting-coach

Popkins, hired in November 2021, oversaw Twins hitters for three years, helping guide an offense that ranked 11th in wRC+ and 13th in runs scored over the stretch despite major injuries to key players. Then he was made a scapegoat for the team's collapse out of postseason contention and fired after the 2024 season. His unemployment lasted less than three weeks before the Blue Jays plucked him in October.

The New York Mets are hiring Troy Snitker as their hitting coach, a source confirmed to ESPN, as the club continues to overhaul its coaching staff after a frustrating 2025 season that ended without a postseason berth. Snitker, 36, previously served as the Houston Astros' hitting coach for seven seasons until he was dismissed earlier this month. He is the son of former Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker, who stepped down from his post after the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates is reportedly returning to the team this weekend for the Dodgers' road series against the San Diego Padres, per the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett. Bates was absent from the team for two weeks for health-related reasons. The details of those health reasons have not been reported. Minor league hitting coordinator Brent Pill and hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc stepped in to cover Bates during his absence.