A Setback for Alejandro Kirk: Blue Jays Miss the Playoffs a Year After Coming Close to Glory
Por Carlos Rodríguez ·
Alejandro Kirk’s Toronto Blue Jays were at the center of one of the most drastic changes of the 2026 season in Major League Baseball. Just one year after winning the American League and falling one win short of the World Series title, the Canadian team was mathematically eliminated from the postseason. The elimination was confirmed on Wednesday, September 23, when Toronto lost 4-2 to the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader played at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Blue Jays entered that game needing to win all of their remaining games and also requiring a combination of losses by the Chicago White Sox or Cleveland Guardians to keep alive even the slimmest chance of advancing.
Baltimore put an end to those hopes once and for all. Max Scherzer allowed four earned runs over five innings, while Pete Alonso hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Scherzer struck out seven, but Toronto couldn’t muster enough offense. The day turned out to be even more bitter a few hours later. The Orioles also won the second game 4-2, so Toronto finished the doubleheader with a record of 77 wins and 82 losses.
Alejandro Kirk Misses the Playoffs
The removal directly affects Mexican player Alejandro Kirk, who remains on Toronto’s active roster.
The Tijuana native had started 2026 once again as one of the team’s top catchers after representing Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.
MLB officially added him to the Mexican roster for that tournament.
Kirk isn’t the only Mexican player in the organization.
Catcher Brandon Valenzuela is also currently on the Blue Jays’ active roster and has seen Major League action this season.
Luis Urías, another member of the Mexican national team at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, also played for Toronto during the season;
He even made the club’s starting lineup in July (Filed under: Alejandro Kirk is out of the playoffs).
[pullquote quote=”The Canadian team was mathematically eliminated from the postseason” cite=”NuevaOnda.com”]
From coming so close to winning the championship to being eliminated
The contrast with 2025 is particularly painful for Toronto.
The Blue Jays won the American League championship after defeating the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in the League Championship Series and advanced to their first World Series since 1993.
In the Fall Classic, they came very close to pulling off the feat.
Toronto pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers to a seventh game but lost 5-4 in Game 7, falling to the Dodgers 4-3 in the World Series.
A year later, the situation had completely changed.
Sportsnet notes that the season was marked by numerous injuries and a year that fell short of expectations for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., among other factors (Filed under: Alejandro Kirk is out of the playoffs).
For more information, visit NuevaOnda.com