Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk takes fellow countrymen Brandon Valenzuela under his wing ahead of new season
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Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk has been mentoring Mexican catching prospect Brandon Valenzuela and it shows.
At last year's trade deadline, the Blue Jays acquired Brandon Valenzuela from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Will Wagner.
At the time, the 25-year-old switch-hitting catcher was relatively unknown to many fans.
After joining the organization, Valenzuela finished the season with Triple-A Buffalo, where he posted a .207 batting average along with three home runs and 12 RBIs over 26 games.
This spring, however, he began to turn heads. In Grapefruit League play, Valenzuela appeared in 11 games and impressed with a .304 average, one home run, and five RBIs across 23 at-bats.
Offensively the Blue Jays coaching staff believes there's still room for growth.
Hitting coach David Popkins has indicated the team is working to improve Valenzuela's contact rate without sacrificing the power he's already shown in a limited sample.
Brandon Valenzuela just eviscerated a baseball. One of the loudest cracks of the bat I've heard all spring from anybody. His raw power continues to be on display as he puts up an extremely *LOUD* camp. 104.2 MPH/406 FT 🔊up for this one
Known for his defensive reliability, Valenzuela combines a strong arm with a quick release behind the plate.
Brandon Valenzuela shows of his cannon of an arm here as he guns down Bryan Rincon on a delayed steal attempt
Key factor in Valenzuela's development has been the guidance of Alejandro Kirk
Speaking with Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling, Valenzuela indicated that despite not having a prior relationship, Kirk introduced himself last August and quickly built a connection, even inviting Valenzuela out for dinner.
"The team likes the way you play. Kirk told Valenzuela. "So, don't do anything you wouldn't do in the other org. Because that's what they liked - what you were doing. So, just keep being yourself."
Valenzuela also benefited from increased opportunities during camp, particularly while Kirk was away representing Mexico at the World Baseball Classic.
That stretch allowed him to work closely with several of Toronto's pitchers, gaining valuable experience that could prove important if he's called upon at the major-league level this season.
Valenzuela emphasized to Zwelling how overwhelmed he was by Toronto's pitching staff, and how integral Kirk was helping him navigate it all.
«The first week of camp, I was like, 'Damn, I'm surrounded by some serious guys,'» said Valenzuela, who was in Toronto catching bullpens during the Blue Jays post-season run in October. «Gausman, Scherzer, Cease. These guys are so good and so serious. So, I had to get caught up really fast. But it's helped having Kirk in my corner. He's been helping me out, pushing me forward. He's made it a lot easier for me.»
Given the physical demands of the catching position, depth is always crucial. Both Kirk and backup Tyler Heineman dealt with injuries last season, which opened the door for others.
If similar circumstances arise again, Valenzuela could find himself next in line for his big-league debut.
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