Alejandro Kirk should be getting more recognition around the league

In a league thats filled with talented catchers - from Cal Raleigh to Will Smith - one player continues to be under appreciated: Alejandro Kirk. However, if you've been paying attention to the Blue Jays over the last few weeks, then you would know that it's been very hard to ignore what he's accomplished thus far.

Since being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays on May 25, the Blue Jays have turned their season around in dramatic fashion. From May 26 to now, the Jays have gone 13-3, have surged into the top wild card spot, and are only 4.5 games back of the Yankees for the AL East lead (going into the weekend).
Throughout this red-hot stretch, there have been multiple impressive performances across the roster, but no one has stood out more than Alejandro Kirk.

Alejandro Kirk should be getting more recognition around the league

Kirk has been on an absolute tear throughout this stretch for the Jays. Since May 25, he's slashing an incredible .442/.475/.635 with a wRC+ of 212, meaning he's been producing offense at a rate that's more than double the league average (112% better).

During this stretch, Kirk has racked up 6 extra-base hits - including 2 home runs and 13 RBIs. Even more impressive, he's only struck out 4 times in 59 at-bats. He's putting the ball in play in almost every plate appearance, and he's not just making contact - he's getting on base and driving in runs while doing it.

This resurgence shouldn't come as much of a surprise either. Kirk was an All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner in 2022. While injuries and a lack of hard hit balls contributed to Kirk's down years in 2023-24, he's back to looking like who he was in 2022: a high-contact hitter who's squaring up the ball again and providing a strong arm and framing skills behind the plate that make him one of the best back stops in baseball.

However, regardless of how impressive Kirk has been offensively during this stretch, he is not receiving enough recognition for just how good of a hitter he's been throughout this whole season.
For example, in MLB.com's latest power rankings (highlighting the top 10 hitters in baseball right now), Kirk was only given a honorable mention on the list, while Juan Soto was put at #10 in the rankings.

Yet, during this recent stretch, where both hitters have been swinging hot bats, there is no question that Kirk has been outperforming Soto. The numbers speak for themselves, and the lack of discourse surrounding Kirk as a top hitter in baseball right now is concerning. If the Blue Jays keep up this hot streak and continue climbing the standings, it won't be that much longer until the rest of the league pays more attention to one of the best and most underrated hitters in baseball - Alejandro Kirk.