Why Blue Jays Catcher Could Provide Much-Needed Power Boost Soon
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The Toronto Blue Jays have done a few things well offensively thus far in the 2025 MLB season despite some expected contributors struggling mightily.
Their .250 batting average and .321 on-base percentage are both in the top half of the league. But, they aren’t generating much power at all with a .384 slugging percentage, which has them in a tie for 20th with the Cleveland Guardians.
Their big offseason acquisitions, second baseman Andres Gimenez and designated hitter Anthony Santander, have not had the kind of impact the team was hoping for. They are contributing to a lot of the struggles, unable to find their groove yet.
One of the players who has been doing a solid job to try and compensate for their shortcomings has been catcher Alejandro Kirk.
Known more for his defensive prowess, he is having a nice start to the season at the plate.
Through 39 games and 151 plate appearances, the 26-year-old backstop has a .282/.318/.373 slash line. His OPS+ of 96 is slightly below the league average, but it is the highest he has recorded since 2022, when he had a 127, made the American League All-Star Team and won the Silver Slugger Award.
Alejandro Kirk Could Be Newfound Source of Power for Blue Jays
That year, he hit a career-high 14 home runs and 19 doubles, providing an unexpected source of power.
This year, Kirk has only three home runs and four doubles, but there are signs that increased power output is on the horizon.
As shared by Owen Poindexter of The Athletic (subscription required), the Toronto catcher has shown one of the most impressive increases in swing speed in 2025 compared to 2025.
Last year, Kirk had a swing speed of 70.1 mph. This year, he has upped that to 72.2 mph, with his 2.1 mph increase being the sixth highest in baseball.
“Alejandro Kirk is kind of a better version of (Nolan) Schanuel, but at a premium position. He has great bat control paired with average power. This year, he’s lifting the ball a lot more. We haven’t fully seen the results yet, but I like him going forward,” Poindexter wrote.
Any increase in power would be nice to see for the Blue Jays, who are tied for 23rd in home runs with 44.
Kirk possesses one of the flattest swings in baseball, which fits his profile of having great bat control, looking to put the ball in play. Adjusting that slightly, with the increased swing speed, would make him more of a home run threat.
