### Minnesota Twins Seek Four New Coaches Following Disappointing Season

MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Twins have announced the departure of four coaches, including their entire hitting staff, after a calamitous end to their season that saw them miss the playoffs. The team confirmed on Wednesday that hitting coaches David Popkins and Rudy Hernandez, assistant hitting coach Derek Shomon, and assistant bench coach/infield coach Tony Diaz will not be returning.

News of the non-renewal of Popkins and Shomon’s contracts was first reported by The Athletic on Tuesday. While Shomon still has one year left on his current contract, there is a possibility he could be reassigned to a role within the Twins' player development department. Shomon joined the major-league coaching staff in 2023 after stints in High-A Fort Myers and Double-A Wichita.

Rudy Hernandez’s departure marks the end of a long tenure with the Twins, having first been hired in 1996 to work at the team's Venezuelan academy. Over his 29-year career with the organization, Hernandez served in both major and minor league capacities and was the team's assistant hitting coach from 2015 to 2019.

Tony Diaz, who was hired after the 2018 season and served as the third-base coach for three years before transitioning to his current role, will also be leaving. His responsibilities included working with the team’s infielders over the past three seasons.

David Popkins was named the hitting coach in November 2021, but the Twins’ offensive struggles this season have led to his departure. Despite a strong start, the team faltered in the final stretch, leading to their exclusion from playoff contention. On August 17, the Twins had a 70-53 record and a 92.4 percent chance of making the playoffs. However, they ended up batting just .228/.292/.354 and scoring an average of 3.6 runs per game over their last 39 matches.

Despite these late-season struggles, the Twins still managed to finish 10th in the majors in runs scored (742) and ninth in Weighted Runs Created Plus (107) for the season. High praise came from shortstop Carlos Correa for Popkins, whom he described as his best major-league hitting coach. Correa credited Popkins with helping him understand his swing and approach better, emphasizing that a high OPS does not always require hitting home runs at every at-bat.

The Twins now face the challenge of overhauling their coaching staff in preparation for next season, hoping to address the issues that thwarted their postseason ambitions.