The Blue Jays are calling up a catcher who is getting a lot of hype in Gabriel Moreno, but let's not overlook the current starter who he'll join in Toronto. Alejandro Kirk got a chance to be the Blue Jays’ starting catcher early in the season while Danny Jansen was injured, and Kirk ran with it.

Kirk has a 152 wRC+, the highest of any Toronto hitter with at least 150 plate appearances. The only MLB catcher with a higher mark, with the same minimum, is the Cubs' Willson Contreras (162). Kirk has been valuable for the Blue Jays behind the plate, too, improving his framing.

“This is definitely the best I’ve felt in the big leagues,” Kirk said after a two-hit game last Saturday that included a homer and a career day on the mound for the pitcher he caught (José Berríos' 13 strikeouts in 7 innings).

There’s no metric for “fun to watch,” but if there were, Kirk would be in the 100th percentile. From his on-field demeanor to his rapport with his teammates, he’s the kind of player who shows us why baseball is the best.

The Blue Jays as a whole would rank highly, too, with numerous captivating stars.

“The chemistry in the clubhouse is unbelievable," Kirk said last week. "We all work together on this. Not just the lineup, but the players coming from the bench, too. Everybody is in."

Here’s a look at what we can quantify, and why Kirk looks like the latest Toronto star.

Plate discipline
Kirk played nine games in 2020, then 60 in ‘21, before seeing more regular playing time this season, with 48 games played already this year. But in 2021, the underlying parts of the success he’s had now began to show. He struck out in only 11.6 percent of his plate appearances, well below the MLB average, and he walked in 10.1 percent of his trips to the plate, which was also better than average.

In related news, Kirk's 19.3 percent whiff rate and 24 percent chase rate last season were also both better than MLB average marks. Even when he wasn’t playing consistently, the plate discipline was there, lending a clue as to what we’ve now seen this year.

Even with more plate appearances, Kirk is striking out only 9.3 percent of the time and walking 12.2 percent of the time, with those ranking in the 98th and 84th percentiles, respectively. He’s cut down his swing-and-misses even further into elite territory, with a miniscule 13.2 percent whiff rate -- 98th percentile there. And he’s still far better than average with a 24.8 percent chase rate.

That approach at the plate, even at a young age -- Kirk is only 23 -- has helped him stand out and continue to turn heads.

Quality of contact
Not striking out and taking walks is a great start, but to truly be a star -- especially on a team as talented as these Blue Jays -- there has to be more. Kirk has that in the quality of contact he makes. His above-average exit velocity and consistent sweet-spot contact help him produce results that are backed up by underlying numbers.

Kirk is in the 96th percentile in expected batting average, which is based on quality of contact (launch angle and exit velocity), plus strikeouts and walks. In practical terms, his .323 xBA means that based on the contact he’s made, that’s what he should be hitting. The fact that figure is close to his actual batting average of .322 means that his current average isn’t lucky or a fluke. And his .533 xSLG is in the 84th percentile, furthering the point that he is making quality contact.

The combination of that contact and the aforementioned plate discipline is what really sets Kirk apart. He’s one of four qualified players currently in the 80th percentile or better in xBA, xSLG and whiff rate this season. The other three are the Astros' Michael Brantley, the Dodgers' Mookie Betts and the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman -- seasoned veteran hitters whose resumes speak for themselves. And to this point this season, Kirk is in an echelon with them.

Defense behind the plate
Beyond his bat, Kirk has also distinguished himself defensively with more playing time. After not ranking notably in pitch framing in 2021, Kirk is in the 93rd percentile in ‘22. So far, 50.5 percent of borderline takes with him behind the plate have been called strikes, the fifth-highest rate among qualified catchers.

“I’m so happy and I’m so proud of him," Berríos said. "He’s been working so hard, and he’s a competitive guy. He cares about himself, but also the pitcher and our team. I’m happy when [he] has a game like that because I know he’s working so hard."

What’s next
At this rate, Kirk has put together a strong case for a spot on the American League All-Star team, and continued playing time with his own team. And with Moreno, the duo has a chance to showcase unique, young talent at catcher for the Blue Jays.

No team has had at least 30 games played from two sub-24-year-old catchers since the 1979 Yankees, with Jerry Narron and Brad Gulden. This isn’t something we’ve seen in a while. Kirk is a joy to watch and having success -- and now we'll get to see how Moreno fits in.

MLB.com's Keegan Matheson contributed to the reporting of this story.