Kirk goes long and prospers in exceptional month of June

Fans of Alejandro Kirk might be sorry to see the end of June.

The Blue Jays catcher put in one of the best performances in the majors this past month.

Heading into Thursday night’s series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Rogers Centre, on the final day of June, the 23-year-old from Tijuana, Mexico led the Jays in several advanced metrics and was among the top 10 in the major leagues over the past month in homers, runs batted in, hits, runs and on-base plus slugging.

It’s a tremendous success story for Kirk, who played just nine games in 2020 and 60 last season.

“Going back to last year, I was hurt a lot; I couldn’t even stay on the field every day,” Kirk told the Star’s Mike Wilner on the “Deep Left Field” podcast. “This year, I’m healthy and very grateful for that, and for the team, giving me an opportunity to play every day.”

Kirk’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed by opposing pitchers. During the Jays’ recent series against the Boston Red Sox, he was buzzed by an inside pitch, then hit in his next at-bat — triggering an exchange that emptied both benches.

“He’s probably one of the best hitters in the league right now,” said Jays starter Alex Manoah, who pitches exclusively to Kirk. “So, as a pitcher, I completely understand you might try and go in or whatever the case may be. But whenever you throw balls at the head, it’s a no-go.”

Kirk’s skyrocketing production has gained traction among fans leaguewide. In the first phase of balloting, he was the top vote-getter among catchers for the July 19 allstar game at Dodger Stadium. Kirk and Jose Trevino of the New York Yankees are the finalists for the second phase, which ends July 8 and will determine the starter for the American League.

Kirk, an outgoing soul who likes to keep things light and is popular with his teammates, said he was “grateful for all the fans, for the voting. I remember a lot of all-star games as a kid, I remember watching them with my brothers.

“It will feel great if I get the chance to be there.”