Pair of 2016 Wild Things Hired as MLB Hitting Coaches
With today’s report of the Cleveland Guardians promoting Grant Fink to become the club’s new big-league hitting coach, that means two members of the 2016 Wild Things’ roster will be MLB hitting coaches this coming season.
Fink, who played a season with Washington in 2016, is reportedly being promoted from within after spending the last three seasons as minor-league hitting coordinator for the Guardians. Fink was a 23rd round pick by Cleveland in 2013 and played three seasons in the farm system before coming to Washington. He clubbed nine homers and drove in 24 in 63 games in 2016, his final season as a pro. After his retirement, he transitioned into a coaching role within the Cleveland organization.
Popkins spent the last three seasons as the big-league hitting coach of the Minnesota Twins before being let go. He’s also worked in the Los Angeles Dodgers system as a hitting coach. The former Wild Things’ slugger played from 2012 to 2014 in the Cardinals organization before playing with Washington the next two seasons and in Sioux Falls (AA) in 2017. With the Wild Things, Popkins was a 2016 Frontier League All Star and hit 35 homers with 94 RBI in two seasons combined. He also doubled 43 times and boasted seven triples between the two years in a Washington uniform. He’ll be the MLB hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays this upcoming season.
