The Toronto Blue Jays still expect a lot more out of Alejandro Kirk
Photo credit: Blue Jays Nation
Near the end of spring training, the Toronto Blue Jays locked in one of their core players with a new deal.
Although many fans had been hoping for an extension for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., it was catcher Alejandro Kirk who signed a five-year, $58 million contract in late March, securing his spot with the team through 2030.
Now, six weeks into the season, we take a look at how Kirk has performed since landing that major deal.
Graeme Wallace from the Blue Jays Nation writes a key storyline heading into the season was the workload Alejandro Kirk would need to handle.
To provide depth, the Jays signed veterans Ali Sanchez and Christian Bethancourt to minor-league contracts, and Tyler Heineman entered camp on the 40-man roster. Heineman earned the backup spot and has exceeded expectations so far. Nevertheless, Kirk has started 28 of the team's 36 games and has shown signs of being a streaky hitter in 2025.
"The 26-year-old started hot with six hits over his first five games (6/19, .316), but that included just one extra-base hit, a double. Kirk slumped over the next 14 games, hitting .173 (9/52) with another double and a homer. In the nine games since, the Mexico native has been hot, with 14 hits in 37 at-bats (.378) with a double, home run, and six RBIs. For the season, Kirk is batting .269 with two home runs, three doubles, 12 RBI, and a .649 OPS with an 84 OPS+." -Wallace
Wallace also writes that the advanced stats indicate that Kirk has been making solid contact, with a hard-hit rate of 49.5% (83rd percentile) and 34.3% of his balls squared up (92nd percentile). He's also managed to keep his strikeouts low at 12.4% (92nd percentile).
However, his OPS is somewhat limited because he's been hitting more singles than extra-base hits and isn't walking much, resulting in a .292 OBP. Despite that, he ranks fourth on the team with 29 hits. While his offensive contributions are notable, Kirk's overall value is heightened when factoring in his defensive skills.
"Kirk has thrown out 29.2% of base stealers (7 of 24), considerably higher than the MLB average of 20.1%. He currently leads the AL with seven baserunners thrown out." -Wallace
The Blue Jays recognize Kirk's value and have made a significant commitment to him. Now, it's up to him to prove that their investment was a smart one. So far, he's demonstrating his worth with a 0.6 fWAR, placing him sixth in the Major Leagues.
Source:
Blue Jays Nation
An overview of how Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk is faring after signing his extension
Blue Jays Nation
An overview of how Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk is faring after signing his extension
| POLL | ||
MAI 10 | 1384 ANSWERS The Toronto Blue Jays still expect a lot more out of Alejandro Kirk Are you happy with Blue Jays pitcher Alejandro Kirk's performance since his extension? | ||
| yes | 1009 | 72.9 % |
| no | 375 | 27.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
