Article: Twins Select OF Alex Kirilloff with 15th Overall Pick

[Jeremy Nygaard]

With the 15th pick of the 2016 MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins select OF Alex Kirilloff, a prep from Pittsburgh.Alex Kirilloff was featured earlier this week in his own draft profile.

 

Kirilloff in a nutshell: He's 6-2, 195 and will start his professional career in center field. He has the arm to handle right field and the power profile to fit in either corner. The Twins will have to buy him out of a commitment to Liberty. Kirilloff is a good student who could have gone to larger-profiled schools, but chose Liberty based on his religious background.

 

The biggest question surrounding Kirilloff is his hand speed - can he catch up to the heat? - but the Twins don't share those concerns. Kirilloff will likely start his professional career in the GCL this summer and will turn 19 in November.

 

As they have done in the past, the Twins have selected a very "toolsy" outfielder; Kirilloff checks all the boxes: Hit, hit for power, speed, arm and defense.

 

Baseball America ranked Kirilloff as the 15th best prospect in the draft.

Kirilloff is one of the better quick-twitch athletes in this year's class. The son of a hitting coach, Kirilloff's offensive game is built around his exciting power potential. He is a lefthanded hitter with plus raw power. Coming from the Pittsburgh area, Kirilloff's lack of exposure to high-level pitching showed on in the showcase circuit, as he often chased pitches outside of the strike zone and struggled to consistently time quality pitching. As some of that rust shook off, Kirilloff began to emerge offensively, with strong performances towards the end of the summer. He also played first base for much of the showcase circuit, but he has solid-average raw speed and has played center field for his high school team this spring. Kirilloff has a exceptional arm, which earns plus or better grades from scouts, making him a natural fit for right field if he moves off center field at the next level. There are some mechanical concerns with his swing, as he bars his lead arm, but he's shown the ability to drive the ball to the opposite field at times. Kirilloff is deeply religious, and he committed to Liberty as an underclassmen. His games this spring have drawn hoards of evaluators, including general managers.

MLB.com ranked him 18th.

A product of the Southwest Pennsylvania high school ranks, Kirilloff put himself firmly on the map with a fine showing on the summer showcase circuit. With the weather warming up and scouts running in to see him, he has the chance to be the highest-drafted Pittsburgh area prepster since Neil Walker went in the first round in 2003.

Teams interested in Kirilloff will be buying the bat. While there is a little length to his swing, he's shown the ability to barrel the ball consistently and has considerable raw power, which he put to use while winning the Perfect Game All-American Classic home run derby over the summer. He's more athletic than one would think given his size and plays center field for his high school team. He'll have to move to a corner spot at the next level, but moves more than well enough to stay there. He has a strong arm, one that fires 87-90 mph fastballs from the mound.For him be an everyday corner outfielder, Kirilloff will have to fit the offensive profile. The team that takes him, perhaps as early as the middle of the first round, believes the Liberty University commit will do just that.

Alex Kirilloff was kind enough to share with us (via twitter) his response to getting drafted.

 

 

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[Twinsoholic]

Oh, well. Starting pitching, starting pitching, starting pitching.

[mlhouse]

THis will be the most outrageous statement of the night:

 

I think the TWins should move Kirollof up to the big leagues almost immediately.  Dump Plouffe, move Sano to 3B, and put him in RF.  He is physically mature, has a mature approach at the plate, is a good defender with a plus arm.  I bet you he would not have the lowest OPS of the main players.  

[Jeremy Nygaard]

 

THis will be the most outrageous statement of the night:

 

I think the TWins should move Kirollof up to the big leagues almost immediately.  Dump Plouffe, move Sano to 3B, and put him in RF.  He is physically mature, has a mature approach at the plate, is a good defender with a plus arm.  I bet you he would not have the lowest OPS of the main players.  

 

You're right. We won't see a more outrageous statement. I bet you he would have the lowest. Honestly, right now, he's a very similar player to Max Kepler in Cedar Rapids.

[sftwinsfan]

The hand speed thing worries me but I'd need more data on him vs players in the big leagues with comp hand speed, etc to really draw any firm conclusions.  Personally there seemed to be more value left in the pitchers when they picked but let's hope it works out.  Bad thing about high school hitters is that we more than likely won't really know much for at least a few years.  Based on his level of competition it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't see Cedar Rapids until 2018.

[tobi0040]

More of the same. A zebra can't change its stripes.

[Kwak]

"Toolsy" Outfielder--they never get past the Twins! The clock is running for when the Twins trade another CF.

[mlhouse]

 

You're right. We won't see a more outrageous statement. I bet you he would have the lowest. Honestly, right now, he's a very similar player to Max Kepler in Cedar Rapids.

 

 

Kurt Suzuki is on the team................  and there is a lot more competition for terrible OPS.

 

Good players can be developed at the MLB level.  Most of the Twins WS team was. If they aint good, then they can never be developed.  You can find that out right away too.  

 

If the Twins had a better prospect as an alternative then that would be a different story.  But the fact is, they really don't.  THey will plug some mediocrity in the lineup instead.  

 

 

 

[Taildragger8791]

Comments like that just make all the other believers in super aggressive promotions look conservative. There is a line somewhere, between letting guys gradually develop in the minors and pushing them up as fast as possible, and you pole vaulted right over it.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

How signable is Kirilloff?

 

What happens if they can't or don't sign him?

[Taildragger8791]

Even Killebrew went back down to the minors after his bonus baby year in the majors (when that was a thing) and that was in the mid-50's. It's beyond outrageous, that's easily exhibit A in your plea for insanity if you're on trial this week.

[sftwinsfan]

 

How signable is Kirilloff? What happens if they can't or don't sign him?

I'd be shocked if the Twins didn't already know he was willing to sign for not a penny over slot.  Haven't heard of any sign-ability issues with him.  If he doesn't sign the Twins would have the #16 pick in the 2017 draft as compensation.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

 

How signable is Kirilloff? What happens if they can't or don't sign him?

100% signable.

[mlhouse]

 

Even Killebrew went back down to the minors after his bonus baby year in the majors (when that was a thing) and that was in the mid-50's. It's beyond outrageous, that's easily exhibit A in your plea for insanity if you're on trial this week.

 

The Senators were terrible, no doubt, but they had Sievers in LF and Lemon in RF, with Eddie Yost at 3B.  And Harmon never played a season completely in the minors in his entire career.  He obviously was not allowed to go to the minors at all as a bonus baby.  Regardless, if Harmon was a player in the modern Twins organization he would have made the majors at 24 or 25, putzing him along the minor league trying to find his position and cut down on his strikeouts. 

[mlhouse]

 

Comments like that just make all the other believers in super aggressive promotions look conservative. There is a line somewhere, between letting guys gradually develop in the minors and pushing them up as fast as possible, and you pole vaulted right over it.

 

Like I said, good players can be developed in the major leagues.  Bad players can look great in the minors and then never be able to play at the highest level. 

 

THe problem with the Twins is that they will not commit to being a developmental team at the major league level.

 

For the past 5 years they have mostly trotted out replacement level players and have lost 90+ games each season with the fluke season last year.  They show ZERO commitment to their young prospects like Berrios, Kepler, Buxton mostly, Rosario, Polanco, bouncing them up and down without really giving them a chance to fully adjust. 

 

They also are too timid in bringing up players like Chargois who demonstrate they have mastered the minor league levels. 

 

You need patience to let these guys play. They will strike out and commit errors and walk batters when that is the last thing you want them to do.  THEY WILL LOSE BALL GAMES.  But the good players will develop and the bad players will show the obvious.  

 

So, it is a stretch to bring up a 18 year old player, but it has been done.  When Robin Yount was brought up to the major leagues at the age of 18, Joe Garioggila joked that they had to protect him from the veterans swearing around him.  Yount was pretty good I guess.

[Brandon]

Burdi was drafted by the White sox so it will be brother against brother matchups down the road in the pen. 

[bird]

Seven pitchers and seven position players taken ahead of this pick.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Yeah, we are in a huge need for outfielders. LOL.

Maybe he ends up at first.

[drivlikejehu]

The idea that the Twins have an OF surplus is, uh . . . dated at best. Sano will be a 1B/DH by the time a HS draftee is in the picture, not to mention that Kepler is unproven.

[Darius]

Seems like a grounded, hardworking kid from a good baseball family. Sounds like he eats and sleeps baseball. He already has good size, with strong tools across the board.

 

Hard for me to argue with this one. Seems like he has a high probability of becoming a solid MLer, relative to what was the left. Of course, in order to be considered, the FO knows he'll come in at the right price.

[by jiminy]

Hard not to worry about a guy whose power depends on a long swing and who has subpar handspeed, which might mean that he's closer to his ceiling than a less polished youngster who didn't have a baseball coach for a dad. 

 

But more to the point, that's ALL I know about him, meaning I really know nothing of substance, and will wait and see with the usual mix of hope and trepidation.

[gunnarthor]

There's nothing wrong with this pick.  It's not a reach and you don't draft for need in the MLB draft.  I'm not sure why this is a "Twinsy" pick since they've been all over the place with their picks.  Plus, the Twins have actually done a pretty good job of getting HS OFers to the majors.  

 

 

[Oldgoat_MN]

 

THis will be the most outrageous statement of the night:

 

I think the TWins should move Kirollof up to the big leagues almost immediately.  Dump Plouffe, move Sano to 3B, and put him in RF.  He is physically mature, has a mature approach at the plate, is a good defender with a plus arm.  I bet you he would not have the lowest OPS of the main players.  

 

You win.

[savvyspy]

I suppose wasting a 1st rounder on a guy who the Twins will turn into a slap hitting corner outfielder is better than drafting another college closer to try and make him a starter. This was just another money pick. Probably had an agreement to sign under slot.

 

By contrast the rich get richer when an elite organization like the Cardinals get a top 3 talent at #21 in Perez. There is risk there but talent wise he's light years ahead of Kiriloff. Plus if he didn't sign the Twins would have 2 top 16 picks next year in a draft that is going to be loaded.

 

I like getting a catcher in round 2.

[gunnarthor]

Ben Rortvedt is their second round pick. It's a nice pick.  Solid HS catching prospect.

[Twinsoholic]

I like the 2nd round selection. I bet we see one more before round 5.

[gunnarthor]

 

I suppose wasting a 1st rounder on a guy who the Twins will turn into a slap hitting corner outfielder is better than drafting another college closer to try and make him a starter. This was just another money pick. Probably had an agreement to sign under slot. By contrast the rich get richer when an elite organization like the Cardinals get a top 3 talent at #21 in Perez. There is risk there but talent wise he's light years ahead of Kiriloff. Plus if he didn't sign the Twins would have 2 top 16 picks next year in a draft that is going to be loaded. I like getting a catcher in round 2.

For crying out loud .. the Twins spend their draft pool.  Perez wasn't a top 3 talent and got busted with PED use so why would you trust him?  He's certainly not the guy you risk your draft on.  

 

The Twins don't develop "slap hitting corner" outfielders.  Jeepers.  Who knows if he'll make it but he's one of the better prep bats in the draft, solid grades, good baseball make up.  He got drafted around where he was supposed to get drafted.

[TheLeviathan]

I'm always in favor of drafting hitters in favor of pitchers in the first.  So I'm on board in principle!

[Deduno Abides]

THis will be the most outrageous statement of the night:

 

I think the TWins should move Kirollof up to the big leagues almost immediately.  Dump Plouffe, move Sano to 3B, and put him in RF.  He is physically mature, has a mature approach at the plate, is a good defender with a plus arm.  I bet you he would not have the lowest OPS of the main players.

 

Well, Ken Griffey, Jr. needed only about 500 ABs in the minors. . .

 

After about 1,300 PAs in the minors, Mike Trout had a .672 OPS.

[jimmer]

 

 After about 1,300 PAs in the minors, Mike Trout had a .672 OPS.

Just to clarify, are you saying Trout had an OPS of .672 in 1300 minor league PAs? Or are you talking about his 40 game intro to the majors before becoming ROY the following season and finishing 2nd for MVP?

Edited June 10, 2016 by jimmer