After two months on the IL with a fractured thumb, Alejandro Kirk has returned to the Toronto Blue Jays lineup.

In 2025, he was second only to George Springer in fWAR for the Blue Jays and second to Cal Raleigh among catchers in MLB (4.7). He also ranked second in Fielding Run Value (FRV) among catchers in 2024 and 2025 (17 in 2024, 22 in 2025). Needless to say, his absence was a big hit to the Blue Jays, and his return has been a welcome sight.

That being said, Kirk’s injury led to one of the biggest revelations of the Blue Jays season so far: Brandon Valenzuela. The Blue Jays acquired Valenzuela from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Will Wagner at the 2025 trade deadline. Since being called up from Triple-A, Valenzuela has had more than his fair share of big moments for the Blue Jays, including a walk-off single against the Philadelphia Phillies and a game-winning RBI double to finish off a sweep of the Boston Red Sox.

Valenzuela is second among Blue Jays position players in fWAR with 1.7, which also happens to be fifth among all catchers in 2025. He’s also third among catchers in FRV (7) and Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) with a +6 rating. Offensively, Valenzuela is slashing .252/.333/.441 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs. He is second to Kazuma Okamoto in wRC+ (116) and second to Davis Schneider in walk rate (11%) on the team.

Valenzuela impressed enough that when Kirk was activated off the IL, the Blue Jays elected to keep him and instead DFA Tyler Heineman. Heineman was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations.

Kirk made an immediate impact when he returned to the Blue Jays lineup. In his first plate appearance after his IL stint, Kirk hit an RBI double. He later followed it up with two singles and a walk.

Kirk is coming off one of his best offensive seasons. In 2025, he slashed .282/.348/.421 with 15 home runs and 76 RBIs. These numbers are similar to his numbers from 2022, when he slashed .285/.372/.415 with 14 home runs and 63 RBIs. Kirk was named as an All-Star in both seasons. He did struggle in 2023 and 2024, however. While his offensive numbers have varied throughout his career, he has proven he can be a very effective hitter for the Blue Jays.

While Kirk has not played enough to read too much into his 2026 stats, he has proven himself to be one of the best catchers in MLB over his career. Since debuting with the Blue Jays in 2020, he’s ranked in the top three for pitch framing every season, including ranking second from 2022 to 2025.

Valenzuela has also shown to be a very effective framer. He’s currently ranked second in catcher framing runs with six. The Blue Jays rank first in catcher framing runs with 12, well ahead of the San Francisco Giants in second with seven. While the team ranking includes stats from Heineman, the tandem of Kirk and Valenzuela is the strongest in MLB at pitch framing.

Kirk has also ranked in the top three for blocks above average every season since his MLB debut. That includes leading all catchers in 2022, 2023, and 2025. So far in 2026, he ranks sixth, though with far less playing time than those ahead of him.

Blocking is definitely the weakest part of Valenzuela’s defensive game. He ranks 52nd in blocks above average with -2. It’s the only defensive metric where he is below average. As a team, the Blue Jays rank 10th in blocks above average with four, though that once again includes stats from Heineman. Compared to other teams, the Blue Jays are average at blocking, though that’s because it’s one of Kirk’s biggest strengths and Valenzuela’s biggest weakness.

Conversely, pop time is one of Kirk’s biggest weaknesses. His best ranking for pop time was 18th in 2021, which is quite an outlier since his next best rating is 41st in 2025. Valenzuela ranks 13th in pop time. He’s shown to be quite aggressive in trying to catch stealing runners. He’s fourth in attempts at second base with 32, nine of which were successful.

It’s unsurprising, then, that Valenzuela also ranks well in catcher throwing. He ranks 12th among catchers in caught stealing above average (2).

As for Kirk, he’s been average in this area most of his career, except in 2024 when he was in the 97th percentile for caught stealing above average. He returned to a more average rating in 2025. This has been a weakness for him in 2026, but once again, he has a very small sample size due to how much time he has missed with injury.

Blue Jays catchers currently lead the league in FRV with 16, ahead of the Phillies, who are second with 10. That includes stats from Heineman, who is a very good defensive catcher. However, Valenzuela has also shown himself to be very good defensively. Kirk has proven himself throughout his career. The Blue Jays have led MLB in FRV every season that Kirk has been on the roster.

The Blue Jays already had one of the best catchers in all of baseball in Kirk. They now also have Valenzuela, who has shown a lot of potential in his short time in MLB. With two players who can positively influence the game from both sides of the plate, it’s safe to say the Blue Jays have one of the strongest catching tandems in MLB.

Stay ahead of the first pitch! From breaking news, unexpected trades and must-read analysis, BlueJaysNation delivers the insight serious Jays fans rely on—straight to your inbox. Sign up for the Bluejaysnation newsletter here!