MINNESOTA TWINS TOP 10 PROSPECTS
1. ALEX KIRILLOFF, OF/1B
AGE: 23. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-2. WT: 215. DRAFTED: HS—Pittsburgh, 2016 (1st round). SIGNED BY: Jay Weitzel.
TRACK RECORD: The 15th overall selection out of high school in the 2016 draft, Kirilloff was thought of as one of the better pure high school hitters in the class as the son of a hitting coach. Four years later, he is one of the better pure hitting prospects in baseball. While wrist injuries and Tommy John surgery have slowed down Kirilloff’s development, the Twins still trusted him to make his big league debut in the 2020 playoffs despite not having a minor league season. He became the first Minnesota player to make his major league debut in the postseason and also collected his first hit.
Kirilloff’s bat is easily his most advanced and exceptional tool. While some players might have better pure bat speed, Kirilloff combines a balanced lefthanded swing, strong hands, quick wrists and the ability to make adjustments mechanically and mentally at an elite level. Where some players have to hit to their strengths, Kirilloff has the rare ability to succeed as a hitter in a variety of ways—using the opposite field, turning on the inner half with authority, handling both velocity and breaking stuff and also understanding the strike zone. Because of those traits, and the fact that he plays with such a low pulse, he has a chance to become a plus-plus hitter. Kirilloff is more contact over power, but that’s a testament to his hitting prowess rather than his lack of pop. Kirilloff’s exit velocities
