Mexican baseball player, Alejandro Kirk, made history after being the first Mexican starting catcher in the American League in the All-Star Game of the Major League Baseball.
The native of Tijuana, Baja California, has been a benchmark in receiving the Toronto Blue Jaysa situation that led him to be recognized as the best in his position, which is why he will be present in the Mid-Season Classic.
After four years of absence, this baseball event will have a Mexican representative among the ninth of the American. With this call, he will be the fourteenth Mexican who has had an opportunity to be in the commitment that brings together the best talents in the Major Leagues.
The level of participation in his career has been increasing, since in his debut in 2020 with the Blue Jays, he only saw participation in 9 games, by 2021 he was contemplated on more occasions and was behind home plate on 60 occasions and finally , in his third season (2022), has already surpassed last season’s games, where he has been present in 76 games.
In the current season in the Majors, Kirk has not only shone in catcher, but he has excelled in good form on offense, where he has been part of the lineup 76 times (21 of them as a starter), of which he has seen participation in 242 at-bats, adding 10 home runs and has produced a total of 33 runs, registering a batting average of .310.
Mexicans who were part of the All-Star Game
The first participation of an Aztec baseball player in this event was Beto Ávila, from Veracruz, in the 1952 edition. Later he had a couple more participations (1954 and 1955), being one of the national baseball players who had the most presences. Both Jorge Orta, Fernando Valenzuela, Vinicio Castilla, Esteban Loaiza and Adrián González were among the players who attended on multiple occasions.
While Isidro Monge, Aurelio López, Joakim Soria, Yovanni Gallardo, Sergio Romo, Marco Estrada and Roberto Osuna did it only once.
| Name | Season | Participations |
| 1. Fernando Valenzuela | 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 y 1986 | 6 |
| 2. Adrian Gonzalez | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 y 2015 | 5 |
| 3. Beto Avila | 1952, 1954 y 1955 | 3 |
| 4. Jorge Orta | 1975 y 1980 | 2 |
| 5. Vinicio Castilla | 1995 y 1998 | 2 |
| 6. Esteban Loaiza | 2003 y 2004 | 2 |
| 7. Isidro the Monk | 1980 | 1 |
| 8. Aurelio Lopez | 1983 | 1 |
| 9. Joakim Soria | 2008 | 1 |
| 10. Yovanni Gallardo | 2010 | 1 |
| 11. Sergio Rom | 2013 | 1 |
| 12. Marco Estrada | 2016 | 1 |
| 13. Roberto Osuna | 2017 | 1 |
| 14. Alejandro Kirk | 2022 | 1 |
Relief pitcher Roberto Osuna was the last to make an All-Star appearance, when he was pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017.
The great performance of the catcher with the Canadian franchise gave him the ticket to be on Tuesday, July 19 at Dodger Stadium, in Los Angeles, California, and write his name among the best Mexican players in the Major Leagues.
It may interest you: Alejandro Kirk will start in the All-Star Game
M.A.N.G.
