Alejandro Kirk might not fit the mold of your prototypical big-league catcher, but make no mistake-he’s carved out a reputation as one of the most quietly impactful backstops in the game today.
Now 27 years old and entering his sixth season with the Blue Jays, Kirk has already logged 564 MLB games behind the plate. Over that span, he’s produced a solid .268/.345/.398 slash line, with 51 home runs and a career 11.3 bWAR-though FanGraphs likes him even more, pegging him at 14.9 fWAR. And while the early scouting reports leaned toward “bat-first, glove-second,” that narrative has taken a sharp turn.
Let’s talk defense-because Kirk’s has been elite. According to Baseball Savant, he ranks in the 100th percentile in Fielding Run Value and Blocks Above Average.
That’s not just good; that’s elite territory. And it’s a strong rebuttal to the ongoing debate about the one-knee-down catching stance, which some critics argue leads to more passed balls and wild pitches.
Kirk’s numbers suggest otherwise. Add in a 98th percentile ranking in pitch framing, and you’ve got a catcher who’s giving his pitchers every possible edge.
The one area where he’s shown some inconsistency is controlling the run game. He started strong last season, gunning down 15 of 49 attempted base stealers (31%) through June.
But after that? Just 2 of 37 (5%) the rest of the way.
That’s a steep drop-off, and while there’s no confirmed injury on record, it’s the kind of decline that raises questions. Still, he finished the year with a 22% caught-stealing rate-down from 31% in 2024.
Offensively, Kirk continues to be a tough out. His 2022 campaign remains his most complete at the plate so far-he hit .285 with a .372 OBP and a .415 slugging percentage.
But the underlying metrics suggest more is possible. He ranks in the 91st percentile in hard-hit rate, squared-up balls, and expected batting average, and he’s in the 95th percentile in strikeout rate.
In other words, he’s making consistent, quality contact and rarely giving away at-bats.
Kirk’s not going to win any foot races-his Sprint Speed ranks in the 2nd percentile, and his Baserunning Run Value is in the 1st. But here’s the thing: when you’ve got a catcher who frames like a wizard, blocks everything in sight, and puts up elite contact numbers, you can live with the lack of wheels.
The same goes for the constant chatter about his body type. Baseball isn’t a beauty pageant-it’s about production.
And Kirk produces.
Looking ahead, the projections are optimistic. Steamer has him pegged for 106 games this season with a .276/.354/.435 line, 14 home runs, and a 4.2 fWAR. That’s All-Star-level output, especially for a catcher.
There’s still a sense that Kirk hasn’t hit his ceiling yet. If he can stay healthy and maintain his defensive excellence while rediscovering the offensive rhythm he had in 2022, a .300 average with 20+ homers isn’t out of the question.
And if that version of Kirk shows up? The Blue Jays will have one of the most complete catchers in baseball anchoring their battery.