Ranking the Minnesota Twins First Round Picks of the Last Decade

Number 3: Minnesota Twins select Alex Kirilloff 15th Overall in 2016

Alex Kirilloff was selected out of Plum High School in Pennsylvania with the 15th overall pick in 2016. Since becoming a professional, Kirilloff has never hit lower than .283 in a season, and hit above .300 in every season besides last.

Alex started his professional career in Rookie ball, and hit .306 with seven home runs in only 55 games. He went on to earn the Appalachian League MVP award in that season. His stats would have been better, but he was forced out of action due to a ligament tear in his elbow. In something you don’t see often, a position player needing Tommy John surgery, Kirilloff missed the entire 2017 season recovering from the surgery.

Kirilloff came back in the 2018 season, and mashed 20 home runs with 101 RBI’s over his time with Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers. He slashed .348/.393/.550 over both leagues as well, getting many in the organization excited about his future.

Last season Alex battled a wrist injury, which forced him to only play in 94 games, all of which in AA Pensacola. In those games Alex hit nine home runs with 43 RBI. Although his slash line went down in all three categories, he still had a very solid season.

Brining us to 2020, Kirilloff would have likely started the season in AAA, with a real chance to make it to the show. Alex appeared in 10 games this spring and made the most of it. He finished the spring with a .429 batting average, 9-21, two home runs, and drove in four runs.

The short spring may have helped the Minnesota Twins from making a tough decision about the future of Kirilloff. But one thing about his future is certain, you should be excited about it.