TORONTO -- Finally, even Alejandro Kirk had to scream, shout and celebrate.
With the biggest swing of his career and the biggest moment of the Blue Jays' season, Kirk was the star of the show as Toronto clinched the American League East for the first time since 2015. His grand slam in the first inning Sunday shook and rattled Rogers Centre in a way we haven’t seen in just as long.
Sunday’s 13-4 win over the Rays not only gave the Blue Jays the division, but catapulted them straight to the AL Division Series with a bye for the Wild Card Series.
The moment even cracked open Kirk, the stoic catcher who rarely gives you any hints about what’s going on in his head. Rounding first, Kirk was already howling along with the crowd. It was all of the emotion of 162 games coming out, all at once. By the time Kirk touched second base, he was still going, every breath another cathartic shout. He’s earned this moment, just like his team has earned every bit of this dream season, but he finally allowed himself that moment to enjoy it all.
“He’s not a very emotional guy, so for him to show that emotion was awesome,” George Springer said of Kirk, who later added a second homer. “That’s just two huge swings. It let us breathe a little bit. I love him. He works his butt off every single day and he’s been playing as hard as he can possibly play for a long time. He deserves it.”
Kirk has become one of the faces of this organization -- quietly, of course -- as one of the best young catchers in baseball, a pitcher’s dream behind the plate and a contact machine when he’s standing in the box. By rediscovering some of his power this season, though, and in setting a career high with 15 home runs, Kirk has taken his game back to an All-Star level.
He’s beloved in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse, even if he’s still a bit of a mystery to teammates who spend every day alongside him. He’s a fan favorite, even if the air of mystery around Kirk is just as appealing as his talents. Now, at 26, Kirk might have a moment we’ll be showing on highlight reels five or 10 years from when his time in Toronto comes to an end. With his new five-year, $58 million extension from Spring Training, Kirk has all the time he’ll need to climb the ranks of the all-time great Blue Jays catchers, and the more we have those conversations, the more we’ll point back to Sunday’s grand slam.
Kirk wasn’t done, though. In the bottom of the fifth, he launched a two-run shot to dead center, giving the Blue Jays another breath of air after the score had grown too tight for comfort. In the biggest game of the Blue Jays’ season, close enough to call a “must-win”, Kirk gave this team the game of his career.
“That was great [for Kirk], especially on the last day of the season,” said Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Blue Jays have always needed Kirk’s bat, but will perhaps need it more than ever coming out of the bye and into the ALDS.
Bo Bichette is still working his way back from a left knee injury and could use the extra time while this rotation will only benefit, especially after needing to start ace Kevin Gausman on the final day. The Wild Card Series has been so unkind to the Blue Jays, who have been on the wrong end of two-game sweeps in 2020, ‘22 and ‘23.
Vladdy has been scuffling down the stretch, too, meaning the Blue Jays have been playing without Bichette and without the peak of Guerrero’s power. Kirk, over and over again this season, has stepped up when his team needed him most.
Sunday’s performance stands above anything Kirk has accomplished in the big leagues, though -- at least so far. It was so good ... even Kirk cracked a smile.