Alejandro Kirk defies stereotypes, inspires a continent
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José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
- October 31, 2025
All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk a key part of Blue Jays' success
LOS ANGELES – The chubby little boy from Tijuana learned early to ignore the nasty insults and dismissive comments. Alejandro Kirk may still not look the part of a major league catcher as he stars in the World Series, but the Toronto Blue Jays’ All-Star is a symbol of perseverance, belief and excellence.
Children can be mean. Adults aren’t much better. Fortunately for Kirk, he learned to ignore the naysayers early.
Yet, 44 years after a chubby Mexican from Sonora defied stereotypes and expectations while inspiring fans on both sides of the Mexican border with the United States, a stocky Mexican is inspiring fans throughout North America.
At 5-foot-8 and 245 pounds, Kirk has helped the Blue Jays get within a win of their third title and first since 1993 heading into Game 6 tonight at Rogers Centre. He has guided the pitching staff masterfully while helping them silence the star-studded lineup anchored by Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.
Historic feats
Moreover, Kirk has delivered clutch hit after clutch hit throughout the postseason. Along the way, he has etched his name in the history books often. Alejandro Kirk is the first Mexican-born catcher to play in the Fall Classic. He’s also the first Mexican-born player to homer in the World Series.
After only six seasons in the majors, he already belongs with former slugger Vinny Castilla and 1954 AL batting champion Bobby Avila among the greatest Mexican-born position players in MLB history.
Kirk has left many casual fans wondering who he is this postseason. ALCS MVP Vladimir Guerrero Jr. isn’t surprised by Kirk’s performance, though.
“To tell you the truth, for me, I mean, what he’s doing right now, it doesn’t impress me at all,” Guerrero said of Kirk. “I’ve been seeing Kirk since he signed, and I always say he’s one of the top catchers in the league.
“But what he brings to the table, not just for me, for the entire team is a lot. He’s always happy. I mean, going around making fun of people. But Kirky, he’s one of the best.”
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There’s something poetic about Kirk’s Blue Jays facing the late Fernando Valenzuela’s Dodgers in the 2025 World Series. Kirk, 26, is a two-time All-Star and already the greatest Mexican-born catcher in MLB history. The Fall Classic, however, has introduced him to an international audience.
No Mexican-born player has had more postseason hits than Kirk, who set the new record in Game 5 with his 22nd overall and 16th of this postseason.
None of this would be possible if Kirk had listened to his legion of detractors when he was growing up.
Ignoring insults
“Yes, it’s sad because everybody told him, ‘You’re never going to get there. You’re a fatty, a shorty,’” Kirk’s father Juan Manuel Kirk told reporters in Spanish earlier this World Series. “I would say, ‘Mijo, you should forget what people say about you. What you’re going to do, do it for you and for yourself. You don’t have to demonstrate anybody anything.’”
Along the way, though, Alejandro Kirk has demonstrated quite a bit to many fans. He has become somewhat of a folk hero, earning cheers throughout the majors, whether in Canada or the U.S.
Kirk, who was born across the Mexican border from San Diego, has endeared himself to Mexican and Mexican American fans. He has even drawn strong support at Dodger Stadium, arguably the MLB stadium with the largest Mexican and Mexican American fan base.
“Thank you so much for all that support,” he said. “Whenever I come here to California or San Diego, I’ve always felt the support of many Mexicans, even Dodgers fans. When I get to see Dodgers fans supporting me, as a Mexican it feels great. It feels like a dream.”
We can all learn from Kirk’s inspirational story. You don’t need to be 6-foot or taller to star in baseball. You don’t need to be slim. The key is to believe in yourself and keep working to see where your talent takes you.
“He’s battled for so many years,” Kirk’s mother Maria said. “And it’s gone really well. Thank God. He cheers for himself because so many people didn’t have confidence in him.”
José de Jesus Ortiz
Founder & Editor in Chief
Award-winning writer Jose de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
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