Alejandro Kirk has quickly become one of the best catchers in the league. 

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/report-blue-jays-sign-alejandro-kirk-to-five-year-extension-worth-58-million">Signed to a five-year deal worth $58 million</a> by the <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> shortly before the season began, Kirk has lived up to those expectations in his first season as the full-time catcher.  He’s getting it done offensively and defensively and has the <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/just-how-important-alejandro-kirk-toronto-blue-jays">highest fWAR on the team</a>.
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The question is, where does the 26-year-old catcher rank among the league’s best backstops? Let’s find out!
<h2>Defensively</h2>
Throughout his time coming up through the minor leagues, Kirk was always thought to be an offence-first catcher. His first full season behind the plate in 2021 wasn’t great, finishing with -3 Defensive Runs Saved and -1 Fielding Run Value in 338 innings.
Something changed in the 2022 season, as Kirk improved drastically defensively, finishing with 9 DRS and 12 FRV in 654 innings caught. The improvement kept coming in 2023, finishing with 17 DRS and 8 FRV and finishing as a Gold Glove Finalist, something he absolutely should’ve won.
By 2023, Kirk was one of the best blockers and framers in the league, but his arm was a little bit behind. In his first four big league seasons, Kirk threw out just 19.9% of base runners, which included throwing out just 15 runners in 83 attempts in 2023.
The pop time was always going to be below average, but early in the 2024 season, something happened with Kirk’s mechanics that led to him throwing out 27 of 87 runners for a much-improved 31% caught stealing percentage. For the season, Kirk finished with 13 DRS and 14 FRV but wasn’t named as a Gold Glove nominee for some odd reason.
His defence is still strong in 2025, as he has 7 DRS and 13 FRV, with strong framing, blocking, and throwing runners out. His caught stealing percentage has dropped a bit to 29.4%. That said, he’s still one of the best at it, as his<a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/catcher-throwing"> Catcher’s CS Above Average of four ranks tied for third in the league</a>.
Kirk also sits at the top of the <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/catcher-blocking?players=672386-2025-141&amp;selected_idx=0">framing leaderboards with 12 Blocks Above Average</a> and at the top of the <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/catcher_framing?year=2025&amp;team=&amp;min=q&amp;type=catcher&amp;sort=4,1">framing leaderboard with 8 Catcher Framing Runs</a>. Simply put, Kirk needs to win the Gold Glove this season because he’s the best defensive catcher in the American League, and perhaps in all of baseball.
Don’t believe me? Well, only Carlos Narváez and Patrick Bailey have a higher DRS than Kirk behind the plate, while he’s tied with Pedro Pagés and Adley Rutschman. Kirk’s 13 FRV tops all of baseball, while his DEF stat of 17.3 is second-best in the league, only to Bailey’s 19.1 DEF. The next closest is Narváez at 12.
Since 2022, Kirk’s 46 DRS ranks first in the league, edging out Bailey, who has 42. Bailey has the edge in FRV with 51, but Kirk isn’t far behind with 48. The next closest is Jose Trevino, who has 34 FRV and 38 DRS.
You can maybe make an argument that Bailey is up there with Kirk in terms of defensive catchers, but there’s no ifs, ands, or buts, Kirk deserves a Gold Glove just for the past two seasons alone.
<h2>Offensively</h2>
Although Kirk was touted as an offensive catcher, before the 2025 season, he never lived up to his offensive potential, except for a hot streak in 2022. Before the 2022 All-Star Game, Kirk was red-hot and slashing .315/.395/.487 with 11 home runs in 306 plate appearances. Post All-Star Game, Kirk slashed .260/.344/.339 with four home runs in 276 plate appearances for a 101 wRC+.
Kirk struggled offensively in 2023, slashing just .250/.334/.358 with eight home runs in 422 plate appearances for a career-worst 94 wRC+. He had an even worse season in 2024, slashing .253/.319/.359 with five home runs in 386 plate appearances for a 93 wRC+.
That said, Kirk seemed to turn a corner once he got regular playing time when<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/toronto-blue-jays-trade-catcher-danny-jansen-to-the-boston-red-sox"> Danny Jansen was traded</a>. From July 28 (the day of the trade) until the end of the season, Kirk slashed .279/.342/.406 with three home runs in 184 plate appearances for a 114 wRC+, which looks similar to what he’s been able to do in 2025.
Kirk has evidently put it all together in 2025, and it’s much more sustainable than his hot streak in 2022. In 294 plate appearances, Kirk is slashing .301/.357/.414 with seven home runs for a 117 wRC+. He’s on track to hit the second-most home runs of his career, while his batting average is going to be around the best it’s ever been.
The 26-year-old has also been incredibly clutch in high leverage this season, slashing .450/.488/1.113 in 43 plate appearances for a 214 wRC+, walking off multiple games this season already.
Comparing Kirk to other catchers around the league, his 117 wRC+ ranks sixth-best, behind Cal Raleigh, Will Smith, Carson Kelly, Narváez, and Hunt Goodman. He’s close to Goodman and Narváez, as they each have a 120 wRC+.
<h2>So, where does Kirk rank among catchers?</h2>
Let’s just get this out of the way immediately: Cal Raleigh is the best catcher in baseball. In 380 plate appearances, he’s hit an incredible 35 home runs, already a career-high and leading the league. While his defence has tapered off compared to last season, Raleigh won the American League Gold Glove in 2024 with 17 DRS and 14 FRV. Realistically, he was the only catcher as good as Kirk defensively, and he caught significantly more innings. Raleigh is one of the best players in baseball right now, with a 5.6 fWAR.
After that, you can make a legitimate argument that Kirk is the second-best catcher in baseball, but  Will Smith is a contender for that title. The Los Angeles Dodgers catcher is a terrific hitter, as he has a 178 wRC+ in 277 plate appearances this season, but he has a -3 DRS and -7 FRV, the latter being the third-worst for all catchers. Smith has a 3.4 fWAR, which is more than Kirk’s 2.9 fWAR. It really comes down to how much you value defence for a catcher.
Raleigh is better, and Smith has a fair argument to be higher than Kirk, but Kirk is, at worst, the third-best catcher in the league. He’s the best defensive catcher in the American League and probably MLB, but it’s the improvement with the bat that makes him so good. Let&#8217;s hope he can continue in the second half.
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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/author/ryley-delaney">Blue Jays Nation</a>, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/author/ryley-delaney">Oilersnation</a>, and <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/author/ryley-delaney">FlamesNation</a>. She can be followed on Twitter <a href="https://x.com/Ryley__Delaney">@Ryley__Delaney</a>.
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Alejandro Kirk has quickly become one of the best catchers in the league. 



<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/report-blue-jays-sign-alejandro-kirk-to-five-year-extension-worth-58-million">Signed to a five-year deal worth $58 million</a> by the <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> shortly before the season began, Kirk has lived up to those expectations in his first season as the full-time catcher.  He’s getting it done offensively and defensively and has the <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/just-how-important-alejandro-kirk-toronto-blue-jays">highest fWAR on the team</a>.
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The question is, where does the 26-year-old catcher rank among the league’s best backstops? Let’s find out!
<h2>Defensively</h2>
Throughout his time coming up through the minor leagues, Kirk was always thought to be an offence-first catcher. His first full season behind the plate in 2021 wasn’t great, finishing with -3 Defensive Runs Saved and -1 Fielding Run Value in 338 innings.

Something changed in the 2022 season, as Kirk improved drastically defensively, finishing with 9 DRS and 12 FRV in 654 innings caught. The improvement kept coming in 2023, finishing with 17 DRS and 8 FRV and finishing as a Gold Glove Finalist, something he absolutely should’ve won.

By 2023, Kirk was one of the best blockers and framers in the league, but his arm was a little bit behind. In his first four big league seasons, Kirk threw out just 19.9% of base runners, which included throwing out just 15 runners in 83 attempts in 2023.

The pop time was always going to be below average, but early in the 2024 season, something happened with Kirk’s mechanics that led to him throwing out 27 of 87 runners for a much-improved 31% caught stealing percentage. For the season, Kirk finished with 13 DRS and 14 FRV but wasn’t named as a Gold Glove nominee for some odd reason.

His defence is still strong in 2025, as he has 7 DRS and 13 FRV, with strong framing, blocking, and throwing runners out. His caught stealing percentage has dropped a bit to 29.4%. That said, he’s still one of the best at it, as his<a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/catcher-throwing"> Catcher’s CS Above Average of four ranks tied for third in the league</a>.

Kirk also sits at the top of the <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/catcher-blocking?players=672386-2025-141&amp;selected_idx=0">framing leaderboards with 12 Blocks Above Average</a> and at the top of the <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/catcher_framing?year=2025&amp;team=&amp;min=q&amp;type=catcher&amp;sort=4,1">framing leaderboard with 8 Catcher Framing Runs</a>. Simply put, Kirk needs to win the Gold Glove this season because he’s the best defensive catcher in the American League, and perhaps in all of baseball.

Don’t believe me? Well, only Carlos Narváez and Patrick Bailey have a higher DRS than Kirk behind the plate, while he’s tied with Pedro Pagés and Adley Rutschman. Kirk’s 13 FRV tops all of baseball, while his DEF stat of 17.3 is second-best in the league, only to Bailey’s 19.1 DEF. The next closest is Narváez at 12.

Since 2022, Kirk’s 46 DRS ranks first in the league, edging out Bailey, who has 42. Bailey has the edge in FRV with 51, but Kirk isn’t far behind with 48. The next closest is Jose Trevino, who has 34 FRV and 38 DRS.

You can maybe make an argument that Bailey is up there with Kirk in terms of defensive catchers, but there’s no ifs, ands, or buts, Kirk deserves a Gold Glove just for the past two seasons alone.
<h2>Offensively</h2>
Although Kirk was touted as an offensive catcher, before the 2025 season, he never lived up to his offensive potential, except for a hot streak in 2022. Before the 2022 All-Star Game, Kirk was red-hot and slashing .315/.395/.487 with 11 home runs in 306 plate appearances. Post All-Star Game, Kirk slashed .260/.344/.339 with four home runs in 276 plate appearances for a 101 wRC+.

Kirk struggled offensively in 2023, slashing just .250/.334/.358 with eight home runs in 422 plate appearances for a career-worst 94 wRC+. He had an even worse season in 2024, slashing .253/.319/.359 with five home runs in 386 plate appearances for a 93 wRC+.

That said, Kirk seemed to turn a corner once he got regular playing time when<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/toronto-blue-jays-trade-catcher-danny-jansen-to-the-boston-red-sox"> Danny Jansen was traded</a>. From July 28 (the day of the trade) until the end of the season, Kirk slashed .279/.342/.406 with three home runs in 184 plate appearances for a 114 wRC+, which looks similar to what he’s been able to do in 2025.

Kirk has evidently put it all together in 2025, and it’s much more sustainable than his hot streak in 2022. In 294 plate appearances, Kirk is slashing .301/.357/.414 with seven home runs for a 117 wRC+. He’s on track to hit the second-most home runs of his career, while his batting average is going to be around the best it’s ever been.

The 26-year-old has also been incredibly clutch in high leverage this season, slashing .450/.488/1.113 in 43 plate appearances for a 214 wRC+, walking off multiple games this season already.

Comparing Kirk to other catchers around the league, his 117 wRC+ ranks sixth-best, behind Cal Raleigh, Will Smith, Carson Kelly, Narváez, and Hunt Goodman. He’s close to Goodman and Narváez, as they each have a 120 wRC+.
<h2>So, where does Kirk rank among catchers?</h2>
Let’s just get this out of the way immediately: Cal Raleigh is the best catcher in baseball. In 380 plate appearances, he’s hit an incredible 35 home runs, already a career-high and leading the league. While his defence has tapered off compared to last season, Raleigh won the American League Gold Glove in 2024 with 17 DRS and 14 FRV. Realistically, he was the only catcher as good as Kirk defensively, and he caught significantly more innings. Raleigh is one of the best players in baseball right now, with a 5.6 fWAR.

After that, you can make a legitimate argument that Kirk is the second-best catcher in baseball, but  Will Smith is a contender for that title. The Los Angeles Dodgers catcher is a terrific hitter, as he has a 178 wRC+ in 277 plate appearances this season, but he has a -3 DRS and -7 FRV, the latter being the third-worst for all catchers. Smith has a 3.4 fWAR, which is more than Kirk’s 2.9 fWAR. It really comes down to how much you value defence for a catcher.

Raleigh is better, and Smith has a fair argument to be higher than Kirk, but Kirk is, at worst, the third-best catcher in the league. He’s the best defensive catcher in the American League and probably MLB, but it’s the improvement with the bat that makes him so good. Let's hope he can continue in the second half.

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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/author/ryley-delaney">Blue Jays Nation</a>, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/author/ryley-delaney">Oilersnation</a>, and <a href="https://flamesnation.ca/author/ryley-delaney">FlamesNation</a>. She can be followed on Twitter <a href="https://x.com/Ryley__Delaney">@Ryley__Delaney</a>.

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Blue Jays: Alejandro Kirk is a top three catcher in MLB

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