Kirk's turnaround all the more crucial as clear No. 1 catcher

TORONTO -- Alejandro Kirk knew his pitcher deserved better, so he handled it himself.

Soon after a Jackson Holliday home run broke up Chris Bassitt’s no-hit bid in the top of the sixth, putting Bassitt on the path of another cruel, undeserved loss, Kirk launched a rocket of his own over the left-field wall, a three-run shot that changed the game completely.

It’s all about 2025 now, but through that lens, 2024 still matters. Tuesday’s 5-2 win over the Orioles at Rogers Centre isn’t changing anyone’s travel plans in October, but Kirk’s performance down the stretch will be crucial in determining how the Blue Jays manage their catching position in ‘25 and beyond. It will be another “1A and 1B” situation, and regardless of how this season ends, the organization plans on addressing that position in the offseason.

“We absolutely do,” GM Ross Atkins said hours after the Trade Deadline passed. “We were looking to do that, as well, if there were opportunities for it.”

Kirk had quietly been stuck in an ugly, empty offensive season, batting just .206 with a .587 OPS at the end of June. None of his contact was particularly threatening, either, but he’s suddenly rediscovered the line-drive stroke that made him such a steady hitter in his early years and won him a Silver Slugger Award in 2022. Since July 1, Kirk is batting .323, and while he’s never going to hit 30-plus homers, there are some signs that he’s putting a little more force behind the ball.

The three balls Kirk put in play Tuesday night were clocked at 106.1 mph, 107.6 and 103.2.

“He’s swinging at good pitches and playing more regularly helps,” manager John Schneider said. “I think he’s just getting more consistent at-bats and when he controls the zone, he’s pretty good. That’s one hell of an at-bat. They were trying to pitch around him there, obviously, and he clipped a slider for a homer. Even when you look at his swings on the road in New York, you could see this coming.”

At a dozen different points over the past five years, Kirk and Danny Jansen looked like the perfect pairing behind the plate. Jansen had the power upside while Kirk was the contact machine who rarely struck out. Jansen came with an injury risk, but Kirk was at his best when he played in a timeshare, so they fit.

Well, Jansen is gone now, making a fine first impression with the Boston Red Sox, and this is Kirk’s show. Brian Serven is up for the stretch run and prospect Phil Clarke, recently promoted to Triple-A, is likely next in line, but neither are expected to play much. The Blue Jays will push Kirk a bit here, seeing how he holds up down the stretch as they position themselves to make an important long-term decision behind the plate. Each spring, help arrives in the form of Minor League signings like Serven and Payton Henry -- for a couple of years, it was Tyler Heineman -- but next year’s addition will need to be more permanent.

Kirk, who rarely looks too excited or too down on himself, isn’t changing a thing.

“I have the same goals, the same goals I had before,” Kirk said through a club interpreter. “I want to stay focused and compete. I’m trying to go out there and compete every night and help my pitching staff. I’m trying to do the best I can with my pitching staff. The rest, we’ll see.”

His defensive value matters in all of this, too. Kirk has a Fielding Run Value of eight, behind only Patrick Bailey of the Giants, tying him for second among catchers with Cal Raleigh, Jake Rogers and Jose Trevino. His framing has long been a strength, particularly on pitches down in the zone, and he’s an excellent blocker -- pitchers trust him.

Kirk is almost starting to feel like a veteran, but he’s just 25 now. Normally, there’s development ahead of a 25-year-old, but we’ve already seen the version of Kirk the Blue Jays need in 2022. That year, he appeared in a career-high 139 games … but started just 74 of those behind the plate while he mixed in DH days.

The Blue Jays need to find that mix for Kirk again, but through the final two months of 2024 with an eye on ‘25, he’s got a shot to stretch himself out and help shape the Blue Jays’ upcoming search for the other half of this catching tandem.