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Inside The Blue Jays

Alejandro Kirk Providing Blue Jays Much-Needed Offense With Veteran Struggling

The Jays offense has not been good this season, but Kirk is finding his swing at just the right time.
Maddy Dickens|
Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) gives pinch-runner catcher Brandon Valenzuela (59) a low five Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) gives pinch-runner catcher Brandon Valenzuela (59) a low five Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Toronto Blue Jays

There isn't a person in the baseball world who doesn't know of the struggles that the Toronto Blue Jays have had this season offensively, specifically their half-a-billion-dollar man, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. That being said, one of their key guys is finally finding his groove at the plate: Alejandro Kirk.

Now, Kirk might not be known for his slugging, but he sure is finding a way to turn hits into extra bases, and that is what the Blue Jays have been in desperate need of all season, especially with Vladdy seemingly incapable of doing so.

It has officially been over a year since Guerrero Jr. last hit a home run at Rogers Centre in the regular season, and the fact that the Blue Jays are a half-game back of a playoff spot going into Tuesday's action without much power is truly unfathomable.

But in Toronto's current hot streak, where they have won six series in a row and clawed their way back into this, the team's man behind the dish is coming up big, which is why he has been listed as the designated hitter on days that he isn't catching.

Kirk’s Confidence Continues To Grow Over His Last 30 Games

Alejandro Kirk hits a baseball in a black Toronto jerse
Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) hits an RBI double Credit: Nick Turchiaro | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It is truly a shame that the Jays were forced to be without Kirk for such a long time after he broke his thumb when a foul ball ricocheted to the worst spot. He wasn't able to play for months, but luckily Brandon Valenzuela was able to step up.

While he didn't immediately hit the ground running when he returned from the dreaded injured list, that wasn't shocking. It usually takes some time for a hitter to adjust back into the game, and boy, has the 27-year-old adjusted.

Over the team's last 30 games, Kirk has been phenomenal:

  • .344/.432/.484
  • .916 OPS
  • 3 Home Runs (leads time)
  • 15 RBI
  • 16 Drawn Walks
  • 32 Hits

On top of how well he has done, even when he gets out, it isn't typically because of a strikeout, as he has posted fewer Ks in that time than either walks or runners brought home. He continues to make good decisions at the plate, and Toronto is reaping the benefits.

While some might think Kirk would start to cool off, the exact opposite is happening as he is batting nearly 400 in his last 15 and 435 over his last seven games to complement an OPS well over 1.100 during both spans.

If the Blue Jays can survive this week of action with three games at the Trop against the Tampa Bay Rays and another three in the Bronx to face the New York Yankees, then the playoffs will be theirs, and Kirk's bat is going to push them through that finish line.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.