This is thanks to a strong defense. The 27-year-old catcher finished with 9 Defensive Runs Saved and 22 Fielding Runs Valued and finished as a finalist for the American League Gold Glove at the catcher position. Realistically, he should have won that one, because he had the strongest stats of any catcher in the American League, and there’s a legitimate argument that he’s the best defensive catcher since 2022.
Regardless, Kirk had a strong postseason outing as well. Through 83 plate appearances, the Blue Jays catcher hit .254/.349/.493 with five home runs for a 132 wRC+ while walking 10.8% of the time.
He has truly emerged as one of the best catchers in the league, and one of those five postseason home runs came in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. Another player who took part in that match and series was Canadian Josh Naylor. He represented Canada and ended up at first base.
Other notable players on the list include Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second base, Andy Pages, Shohei Ohtani and Edwin Díaz.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic starts on March 5.
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