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Alejandro Kirk Is Ready to Come out Strong This Season

Alejandro Kirk has set the tone for the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of this season by getting his second home run of spring training on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox. Kirk’s 2023 season with the Toronto Blue Jays consisted of hitting eight home runs and driving in 43 runs. Kirk’s biggest downfall in 2023 was hitting into many double plays. But he also showed that he could drive the ball smoothly into left field and had power with his bat.

Blue Jays Catcher Alejandro Kirk Is Ready To Make Some Noise This Season

Captain Kirk

Kirk trimmed down his weight during the offseason, which will help improve his speed. It will benefit the Blue Jays if Kirk can improve his numbers from last season and drive in more runs at the bottom of the lineup. One of Kirk’s strengths is that he doesn’t strike out much as a hitter. If he can reduce the number of double-play balls that he hits into, this will lead to improvement in his game this season. Kirk avoided arbitration with the Blue Jays by signing a one-year deal worth $2.8 million in January of this year. He should continue to split time behind the plate with Danny Jansen this season.

Alejandro Kirk has two home runs in 11 at-bats so far this spring. Last year, he had two home runs in his first 142 at-bats. This is an excellent sign for Kirk and the Blue Jays. What’s evident about Kirk’s approach at the plate is that he was rolling over the type of pitches that he drilled out of the park in spring training. While it is only spring training, this is still very encouraging for him. This could very well be his big bounce-back season with the Blue Jays. But despite having a down year in the 2023 season, Kirk was a finalist for the AL Gold Glove Award at catcher.

The Little Engine That Could

Every player on the Blue Jays roster will need to step up and bounce back from their 2023 season. While there are some exceptions, even the players with impressive stats still want to pick up from where they left off and come out stronger. Kirk is a player who may be small in size, but no one can deny his power at the plate. He is one of many players on the Blue Jays roster looking to have a better season. According to Baseball Reference, Kirk is projected to hit 13 home runs this season. The 25-year-old is going into his fifth season with the Blue Jays. He and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are two Blue Jays projected to have improved numbers from 2023.

 

Photo Credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Vanessa Serrao

Vanessa Serrao

Vanessa is a freelance baseball writer for Last Word On Baseball. She is also an author and is pursuing a career in sports journalism. She loves the Toronto Blue Jays, but covers MLB breaking news.

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