The off-season for hitters is confusing. You spend months training.. Chasing bat speed, better direction, and strike zone awareness. But you never really know if it’s going to transfer until you face pitching. Most hitters build a training swing, not a game swing. They train comfort, not chaos. Michael Jordan said it best: “I watched how others practiced… they were deceiving themselves about what the game requires.” That’s most hitters. It only matters if you can do it, under pressure, on time, and in a tight window.

Inside the mind of the @BlueJays hitting coach 🧠 David Popkins shared his philosophy on finding value in an offense, separating analytics from the eye test and the increase in bat speed among numerous Toronto hitters.