The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the strongest offensive cores in baseball as the organization heads into 2026 looking to make another deep postseason run.
One of the team’s more underrated players remains catcher Alejandro Kirk, who gives the club a clear strength at one of the league’s most difficult positions. Kirk is a two-time All-Star and one-time Silver Slugger award winner.
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Not only does he provide strong offensive value — he posted a .282 batting average, .348 on-base percentage, .769 OPS, 15 home runs and 76 RBIs across 130 games last year — but he also grades out as one of the best framers in baseball, routinely stealing strikes for the pitching staff.
Fortunately for Toronto, the front office inked Kirk to a five-year $58 million extension in March, so he is locked in long term and continues to outperform his salary.
Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk.© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
(© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
As Kirk prepares for his seventh year with the Blue Jays in March, he has momentarily shifted his focus away from Toronto, just as much of the baseball world has, with the World Baseball Classic scheduled for the same month.
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Many of the league’s top players are skipping out on spring training to instead suit up for their respective countries in the international tournament, and Kirk is no different. He will be representing Team Mexico at the WBC as one of its most important players.
As he embraces his national pride, it has also connected him with fellow MLB players who, despite competing against him during the regular season, will now join him on Mexico’s roster.
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad was announced as a pitcher for Team Mexico on Thursday, and Kirk welcomed him immediately. He reposted Team Mexico’s graphic on his Instagram story and added the caption, “Vamonos mi sangre, perro,” which translates to “Let’s go, my brother.” His message made it clear he is excited about the reinforcement.
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Assad will be a significant addition given his success across four seasons with the Cubs, owning a career 3.43 ERA across 78 games as both a starter and reliever.
The WBC begins March 5 and will conclude with the championship game on March 17 in Miami, long before Opening Day. The tournament will not impact Kirk’s availability for the regular season and should provide him with valuable fine-tuning against elite international competition.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.