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| Does Alejandro Kirk have the second-most athletic swing on the team? Behind Bo Bichette? I think so maybe? |
We are hearing less about it this season, I suppose probably mostly because it lacks the thrill of novelty, but Alejandro Kirk has been going great, and actually has been a better hitter so far in 2023 than he was throughout his All-Star 2022 season (at least relative to his season-ending 2022 numbers, I guess we should say; he had a pretty hot first half!). This is entirely because of how, despite not hitting for much power, Kirk is getting on base more often (OBP .418 ) than, like, Vladdy (OBP .394 [also excellent]). Plainly, there is a difference between those two sluggers when it comes to actual slugging, but this is not to say that Alejandro Kirk is dinger-incapable, as evidenced Friday night, when ding he did! A rocket to left! Kind of like Vladdy hits! A lot of the time! To speak further as regards Vladdy, witness this image of just how psyched Vladdy was to score from first—or rather how psyched Vladdy was to have a chance to try to score from first—on a Matt Chapman double:
He was like that every instant of his trip around the bases. I felt great for him! And for George Springer, too, who knocked in the go-ahead run in the sixth on his very own replica jersey night (he could really stand to have a few more drop in, couldn't he). Alek Manoah had another one where, even without his best command, it all still worked out pretty well: two runs through five against a good team, you can't really complain, even if it took a tonne of pitches, and meant four innings out of the actually-amazing-so-far bullpen (Mayza, Yimi, Swanson, Romano: no hits, no walks, eight strikeouts).
Lots to like! Five in a row!
KS
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