Kirk delivers second walk-off hit of promising young season
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Alejandro Kirk is delivering in a big way for the Toronto Blue Jays early this season, with his walk-off hit against former Jays closer Jordan Romano on Wednesday night providing another spark.
Kirk worked deep into the count against his former teammate, fouling off three pitches before blasting a single off the wall in right field to give Toronto a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
It was his second walk-off hit of the season, and the hit boosted Kirk's average to a sparkling .295 through 49 games on the year.
To do it against a former teammate in Romano, who went to two All-Star games in six seasons with the Blue Jays before leaving in the off-season made it even more special for Kirk.
“Honestly, it wasn’t easy,” Kirk said through interpreter Hector Lebron after the game. “We all know that he’s one of the best relievers in the big leagues, and I think both of us did a good job there.”
“I always remember all the times that [Romano] helped us win, helped us get out of an important inning,” Kirk said with a smile. “It’s always nice to get to see him on the mound.”
Manager John Schneider felt that the opponent being a familiar face for Kirk played a role.
"He's caught [Romano] plenty,” Schneider said. “Jordan's got a very unique fastball profile. It's kind of a low slot and it gets on you, so it's tough to hit. I'm sure that played into it. It's a guy we're really familiar with and has had a ton of success. So it’s probably … I don't want to say easier for us, because we know him and he's got great [stuff], but I think it probably helped Kirky out there a little bit.”
Kirk has been productive at the plate after signing a five-year contract worth $58 million before the season started, which is an encouraging sign after two down years from 2023-24.
The 26-year-old was an All-Star in 2022, when he hit .285 with 14 home runs, but in 226 games over the last two seasons, he hit just 13 homers and slashed .251/.327/.358.
Those numbers have all spiked this season, to a .295/.346/.376 slash and, like in Wednesday's win, a few clutch hits in big moments.
The advanced data has indicated Kirk is among the best hitters on the team this year. His strikeout rate is among the best in the league, he's hitting the ball about as hard as anyone with an average exit velocity in the 91st percentile and his expected batting average of .317 ranks among the very best in the majors.
His contributions on defence, in which he ranks as the top catcher in the majors in framing rating and is fifth in caught-stealing percentage (25.6 per cent), have helped Kirk's fWAR (1.6) to third among catchers in the majors.
The catcher is certainly not letting his production get to his head though, as he stayed humble and in the moment even after his heroics on Wednesday.
"I think we both tried to do the best we could and I ended up a bit on the winning side," Kirk said.