A recent history of Twins’ First-Round Picks
By Chris Schad
2016: 1B/OF Alex Kirilloff (15th Overall)
This would be the final pick of the Terry Ryan era, as he would send in his resignation a couple weeks after the conclusion of the draft. That being said, Ryan went out with a bang drafting Alex Kirilloff, who looks like a long-term contributor for the Twins success.
The outlook didn’t look so rosy a couple years ago, however, as Kirilloff’s career began needing Tommy John surgery. After missing the entire 2017 season, he began to take it out on opposing pitchers in 2018, posting a .348/.392/.578 line with 20 home runs and 101 RBI between Low-A Cedar Rapids and High-A Fort Myers.
As he’s continued to rise through the Twins system, he’s become one of the organization’s top prospects, ranking 15th on Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list this season. Kirilloff’s numbers have hit a bit of a snag thanks to a wrist injury that has forced him to miss some time, but he recently has picked things back up and appears to be another cornerstone of the Twins lineup.