Alejandro Kirk’s all-star season no shock amongst Blue Jays teammates

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Alejandro Kirk’s all-star season no shock amongst Blue Jays teammates

TORONTO — There are many ways to quantify the kind of season that Alejandro Kirk is having, but let’s start with Max Scherzer’s thoughts on the Toronto Blue Jays‘ catcher.

“Unbelievable what he’s doing on both sides of the ball,” Scherzer said. “He’s nails there behind the plate. And what he does offensively, he goes up there and delivers big hit after big hit for us.

“He’s just one of many reasons why we’re a great team. But he’s definitely a big part of it.”

Your turn, John Schneider.

“Some people call him an unsung hero but to us and the people in here, this is what we expect out of him,” the Blue Jays’ manager said. “What he can do on both sides of the ball, it’s pretty remarkable. It’s a physically taxing position and he’s putting together a really, really good offensive and defensive year for a catcher that kind of flies under the radar.”

That’s a small sample illustrating how Kirk’s 2025 all-star campaign is being appreciated by those around him. Ask anyone inside the Blue Jays’ clubhouse and you’ll get another version of the same answer.

And this isn’t just because Kirk is a loveable figure. As the Blue Jays enter what’s shaping up to be an exciting stretch run, Kirk stands as arguably the most important player on their roster. He’s simply irreplaceable in the batting order, as a defender, and as a game-caller and receiver to the pitching staff.

Perhaps the most telling metric is that Kirk entered Tuesday tied with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., for a team-leading 3.8 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs. Only one catcher in all of baseball has been more valuable — Seattle’s Cal Raleigh, whose 7.3 fWAR is coming amidst a dream season in which he’s already reached the 50-homer mark.

Kirk’s contributions are almost equals parts offence and defence. For years he’s been considered among the premier defensive catchers in the sport and that reputation has continued throughout 2025. His blocks above average of 14 ranks in the 100th percentile while his framing metrics sit in the 98th percentile, according to Baseball Savant.

There’s also a component of toughness to his game and that was on display during Tuesday’s 7-5 loss to the Twins when Kirk sustained a visible bruise on his right hand after he was hit by a foul tip while behind the plate. He remained in the game, though.

“His strength was good, gripping the bat was fine, throwing the ball back, that was fine,” said Schneider. “I got to check with the medical group to see if he’s going to get X-rays — I don’t think he’s going to. Kirky’s got some solid hands. I think it looked a little bit worse than what it really was.”

Additionally, the offensive success that the 26-year-old has experienced this season has essentially made the five-year, $58-million extension he signed in March look like a bargain.

Kirk’s 91st percentile hard-hit rate (51.4 per cent) is a whopping 37 percentage point improvement over last year’s mark. He’s also hitting .335 with an expected batting average of .325 against fastballs, numbers that stand as career bests outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

He’s also as clutch as it gets, batting an impressive .358/.397/.491 in late and close situations.

Lately, though, Kirk’s also shown off impressive power, with four home runs in his past nine games. During Monday night’s 10-4 win over the Twins, he drilled an opposite-field homer in the first inning that really stood out to his manager.

“It seems like he kind of goes in waves a little bit at times, not with the on base or the contact, but with the home runs,” Schneider said. “But lately, man, he’s been taking some great swings to go the other way. (That) really shows me that he’s in a good spot.”

Kirk added a sharp RBI single to right field in the first inning of Tuesday’s 7-5 loss to the Twins and when asked about his swing, he agreed with his manager.

“Especially lately, I’ve been feeling a lot better,” Kirk said. “Right-centre, that’s me. Obviously, if I need to react on something in, I’ll do it as well. But basically my entire approach is to strike through the middle and the other way.”

It’s a simple answer, but nothing his teammates don’t already know and appreciate.

“There’s a lot of big names on this team and rightfully so from what they’ve done and their contracts and all that kind of stuff,” Schneider continued. “But he’s just a constant presence. Unsung hero? Sure. But I think within the walls here, the 26 guys on the staff that know and trust him, this is what we expect.”

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