The ‘truly insane’ revitalization of Springer at 35

After the worst season in his career and what seemed to be the start of his inevitable decline, George Springer has been perhaps the Toronto Blue Jays’ best offensive player this year. (Fandom via baseball.wiki.com)

By Mitch Bannon / The Athletic

There is something missing in the Toronto Blue Jays’ dugout. There is no jovial yelling from a corner of the clubhouse, no youthful joy radiating off a revitalized 35-year-old outfielder.

For the past 12 games, the Jays have been without George Springer as he recovers from a concussion. In 2024, a week without Springer could have gone unnoticed. He was a below-average performer for the first time, setting career lows in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and Wins Above Replacement.

A year later, he is the team’s essential engine.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the face of the franchise. Bo Bichette is an undeniable co-star. But Springer is a key ingredient in the Blue Jays’ 2025 offense. After the worst season in his career and what seemed to be the start of his inevitable decline, Springer has been perhaps the team’s best offensive player this year. Somehow, 12 seasons into his career, Springer is back in his prime.

“It’s truly insane,” outfielder Myles Straw said. “He’s 35. You can tell he feels his body sometimes, as you should at that age, playing on turf. But the way he runs the bases, hitting for power, doing it all. It’s pretty impressive.”

When the Blue Jays hired David Popkins as hitting coach in October, he was most excited to work with Springer. Popkins regularly watched the Houston Astros during the prime years of Carlos Correa, whom he coached with the Minnesota Twins, and Springer. When most people examined Springer’s 2024 season, they saw a player slowing down because of age. Popkins saw someone in need of a new approach.

Springer’s bat speed dropped nearly a full mph in 2024. His max swing speed remained the same. His big power stroke remained but was overshadowed by a defensive approach. Springer was slowing his swing to make contact, prioritizing simple bat-to-ball when fooled on pitches or with runners in scoring position. That tactic can work in specific situations or for depth players without 39-homer power, but not for Springer.

“There’s a type of hitter,” Popkins said, “who actually does better, like swing decision and accuracy-wise, when they’re actually looking with intent. There’s another type of hitter that when they’re doing that, the swing gets long and their decisions get worse. George is the opposite. He does better in a more aggressive mindset.”

The Jays unlocked Springer’s aggression. Swing hard, swing for power. If he misses, there is always another pitch to hit hard. They wanted Springer back to his past form. Instead, he has been better.

With Springer’s reformed approach, Popkins said, an early-season surge was expected. He could ambush pitches and hammer mistakes. In the first month of the 2025 season, Springer had 10 extra-base hits in 28 games and hit .300. Eventually, Popkins expected, fatigue would hit, and the league would adjust.

Opponents stopped giving Springer as many first-pitch fastballs in May. In July, left-handers went heavy on change-ups and right-handers fed him sinkers. But the falloff never came. Springer is hitting .291, compared with .220 last season, and his July average and on-base plus slugging percentage were the highest of his season.

During the first six years of Springer’s big league career, he never hit fewer than 15 home runs. He made three All-Star teams and was MVP of the World Series in 2017. The 2025 iteration of Springer, Popkins said, is an evolved version of that player. Springer has never hit balls this hard, on average, walked this much or reached the ideal launch angle this consistently. That has paid off with 18 homers in 101 games; he had 19 in 145 games last season.

“This is maybe the best version of him ever in his career,” Popkins said. “And he’s doing it at his age, which is pretty phenomenal.”

When Straw cracked the big leagues in 2018, he joined an Astros team filled with current and future leaders — Correa, Alex Bregman, Martín Maldonado, Justin Verlander, José Altuve and more. Springer was sort of an outfield captain. Seven years later, he is essentially the same guy, Straw said, connecting the clubhouse and setting a tone. But, somehow, he has even more energy. He leads like a 21-year-old trapped in a 35-year-old’s body.

“A lot of guys are shutting down at 35,” Straw said. “Not George.”

When Daulton Varsho spent two lengthy injured list stints away from the team, Springer video-called him every day. They spoke about baseball, life and family. Springer always updated Varsho on the dynamics of the clubhouse, breaking down how the group was coming together, how new guys fit in and why the Jays were climbing the standings.

With Varsho back with the Jays and Springer on the injured list, the calls continue, even from minor league cities, as the veteran awaits a rehabilitation stint. But Varsho does not need those video calls to see his friend’s face each day. During afternoon team meetings, the Jays huddle around monitors to review successful base-running plays and decisions to replicate. Springer is featured more than any other player.

Springer often has a wide grin on his face while sprinting around the bases. As he snags an extra base or rounds a base, the veteran yells and huffs. It sets the standard for the rest of Toronto’s roster; this year, this is a better baserunning team. But it also captures Springer’s “joy of enjoying baseball,” Varsho said. It’s Springer at his best, once again.

“You see a lot of Houston George back in himself,” Varsho said. “Maybe better.”