Fastball

Toronto Blue Jays Catcher Passes Beloved Former All-Star in Team History

The Toronto Blue Jays won on a walk-off homer on Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels and catcher Alejandro Kirk moved up an impressive list in team history.

Brady Farkas

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) rounds the first base after hitting a double against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre on Aug 22.
Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) rounds the first base after hitting a double against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre on Aug 22. / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
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The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles 5-4 on Friday night thanks to a walk-off home run from rookie Addison Barger. It was the first career walk-off for Barger, but the night was also historic for Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk.

By going 2-for-4 with two RBI, Kirk surpassed Russell Martin for the fourth-most hits by a Blue Jays catcher in team history.

This note from @StatsCentre came out before the game:

After a disappointing 2023 and a mediocre 1st half this season, Alejandro Kirk has been one of his team's most accomplished hitters the past 7 weeks. After a pair of doubles in last night's 5-3 win, he enters tonight just 1 off of tying for 5th on this @BlueJays list of catchers

Ernie Whitt (888), Pat Borders (590), Darrin Fletcher (490) and Greg Zaun (417) are now the only catchers ahead of Kirk on that list. Kirk is hitting just .248 on the year but he is a former All-Star for Toronto. He's got four homers and 38 RBI.

Martin, 41, is a Canada native who also got a chance to play for the Blue Jays from 2015-2018. Overall, he was a 14-year veteran who made four All-Star teams and won a Gold Glove. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Jays. He hit a career-high 23 homers in 2015 with Toronto and also stole 21 bases back in 2007. He helped the Blue Jays get to the ALCS in back-to-back years (2015-2016).

The Blue Jays will take on the Angels again on Saturday afternoon at 3:07 p.m. ET.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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