MLB Draft: Grading every Twins first round pick since 2010
By Josh Hill
2016 MLB Draft
15th Overall Pick. Alex Kirilloff. Alex Kirilloff. B. OF, Plum High School
It’s undeniable that Tyler Jay was a bad miss by the Twins front office, but they rebounded and redeemed themselves the next season. Alex Kirilloff was a top high school prospect who the Twins drafted as an outfielder but developed in their farm system into a guy who is expected to be the first baseman of the future.
Kirilloff made his debut less than five years later, getting called up during the playoffs in 2020 and has been making his bones with the Twins ever since. Injuries have stunted his growth in the majors, but he’s a key piece of the Twins core moving forward assuming he can continue building on the promise he’s shown.
2017 MLB Draft
Royce Lewis. A. SS, JSerra Catholic High School . 1st Overall Pick. Royce Lewis
Here we come to the second of three absolute monster picks the Twins made and turned into top prospects in the entire league. Getting the No. 1 pick isn’t something that has happened often for Minnesota, and this marked the first time since 2001 that the team had secured to the top pick.
That year the Twins drafted Joe Mauer, and guys like Dansby Swanson, Gerit Cole, and Bryce Harper had gone No. 1 in recent years. So it’s safe to say the expections for what the Twins would do were high, and they absolutely delivered with Royce Lewis.
His journey has been a tough one, with two ACL injuries stunting his ascension, but once he re-introduced himself this season he reminded everyone why there was so much hype around him. Lewis is hands down a centerpiece of the Twins future, and is on his way to filling the massive shows Mauer left for him as the last No. 1 pick Minnesota made.
2018 MLB Draft
OF, Oregon State. 20th Overall Pick. Trevor Larnach. Trevor Larnach. B+
Minnesota closed out a stellar run of drafting impact players by nabbing Trevor Larnach in the later stages of the first round back in 2018. His rise has been rather quick, partly because he was coming out of college when the Twins drafted him, but he started making contributions to the Twins lineup less than four years after being picked.
He’s shown flashes of being an important impact player that fits a classic Twins mold. Last season he slashed .231/.306/.406 and made the Opening Day roster this season. He’s been up and down due to injuries, but it’s clear the Twins nailed a late first-round pick in finding Larnach at No. 20 overall.