TORONTO — As fall baseball creeps closer, the Blue Jays have a lightning rod in Alejandro Kirk. And lately, he’s doing plenty to jolt Toronto’s offense.
Kirk has long been a defensive stalwart. The numbers back it up: he leads MLB in blocks above average (+14) and ranks second in catcher framing runs (+12). He’s also a master at getting on base, his salsa walk-up music making him a fan favorite at Rogers Centre. But after going deep in Monday night’s 10-4 win — his fourth home run in eight games — you can add bona fide power threat to the list.
Beating Twins ace Joe Ryan is no small feat, even for a Blue Jays lineup that entered this home contest leading baseball in average (.276), OBP (.345), and SLG (.452) since May 8. Still, Toronto wasted no time in the bottom of the first.
Two runs were already across by the time Kirk stepped in. As the music faded and the crowd quieted, he dug into the box. Ryan’s first offering looked good, and Kirk sat back, driving the fastball deep into right for his 11th homer of the season.
With Kirk on a tear, the Blue Jays’ lineup looks downright dangerous. Opposing pitchers will always scheme for Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer, but if Kirk keeps driving the ball to every corner of the park, the challenge only grows.
“It gives our offense a different look when you add his ability to hit the ball over the fence,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider, noting Kirk’s power surge. “It just makes us a little bit more dynamic.”
Outside the Blue Jays’ clubhouse, Kirk might sometimes be overlooked on a roster filled with star names. But within the walls, Schneider sees no hidden gem — just a trusted presence.
“Within the walls here, and the 26 guys and the staff that know and trust him, this is what we expect out of him,” Schneider said.
That trust carries over to the pitching staff, especially veteran Max Scherzer, who has thrown to dozens of backstops over 18 Major League seasons. After allowing four runs in six innings Monday, Scherzer (5-2) collected a win in his third straight start and made sure to credit Kirk for keeping things steady.
“He’s nails there behind the plate,” Scherzer said. “And what he does offensively, he goes up there and delivers big hit after big hit for us. And so, he’s just one of many reasons why we’re a great team.”
Kirk’s two-run blast gave the Jays an early cushion and a solid foundation for an outpouring of offense. The bottom of the order quickly joined the fun, with nine-hole hitter Andrés Giménez jumping all over Ryan.
“Ryan, he has an elite fastball, one of the best fastballs in the league,” Giménez said. “So we were trying to be aggressive.”
Aggression paid off. Giménez cracked his sixth home run of the season — just his second since July 1 — and Nathan Lukes added a pair of doubles to extend the margin. All told, seven Blue Jays hitters drove in a run as the club picked up 10 hits.
Whether it’s long at-bats, two-out hitting or timely power, the Blue Jays’ offense is in unison. That synergy has helped Toronto win consistently since early May, and it may be what carries the club into October.
“We are all different, but we are on the same page,” Giménez said. “We’re trying to get a win and get the offense together. So tonight, we did it and we executed.”
It’s too early to start printing playoff tickets with the Red Sox and Yankees still on Toronto’s heels. But even if the pitching stumbles, the Blue Jays have no reason to panic. This offense, powered by Kirk and company, is proving it’s never out of a ballgame.
