Blue Jays Boss Mark Shapiro Heaps Warranted Praise on 'Captain Kirk'
In this story:
Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro was under some pressure, along with general manager Ross Atkins, heading into the 2025 MLB season.
The team hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, when they advanced to the American League Championship Series and lost to the Cleveland Indians in five games. Since that point, they have made the postseason three times, but in each instance were swept 2-0 in the AL Wild Card series. That was a streak the franchise desperately wanted to end.
If Shapiro and Atkins could not get the job done this year, they were going to be on the hot seat. Same with manager John Schneider, who has been at the helm since taking over during the 2022 campaign from Charlie Montoyo. Some major spending was done this offseason to an effort to break that postseason winless drought.
The biggest additions, designated hitter Anthony Santander in free agency and second baseman Andres Gimenez via trade from the Guardians, haven’t had the kind of expected impact. Closer Jeff Hoffman has struggled with inconsistencies at points. Max Scherzer has been great since coming back from the injured list and getting into a rythm.
While the offseason additions have been a mixed bag, it has been internal developments from players who were already on the roster that has buoyed the team’s success. One of the most integral performers for Toronto this year has been catcher Alejandro Kirk. Who recently, he drew a ton of praise from Shapiro.
Alejandro Kirk Praised By Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro
“Alejandro quietly has become one of the best defensive catchers in the major leagues. At the plate with the game on the line, against the nasty slider down and away, he finds a way to get a hit. He has a slow pulse and doesn’t speed it up in critical situations. There is not a moment too big for him,” Shapiro said, via Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required).
Kirk was an All-Star for the second time in his career in 2025. He has been a steady source of all-around production for the team, whether it is at the plate with his bat or defensively. His impact is immeasurable given how comfortable he makes the pitching staff when working with him.
No matter how bright the lights get, he is producing. As Bowden shared, Kirk has excelled in high-leverage situations with a .354/.384/.456 slash line through 86 plate appearances. Overall, he has produced a .293/.352/.412 slash line with 10 home runs, 13 doubles and 56 RBI. He has an OPS+ of 111 and bWAR of 1.9.
Defensively, he has been as excellent as ever. His Fielding Run Value of +15 is in the 99th percentile. His framing and blocking stats are both elite. Possessing an above-average arm, he has shown improvements throwing out opponents attempting to steal bases.
His all-around impact has helped elevate the team’s performance and taken Shapiro and the other members of the brain trust off the hot seat.
