Twins Daily 2018 Top Prospects: #5 Alex Kirilloff

It sounds like he may be in extended spring training for a couple weeks based on those quotes.  Whatever sets him up for the most success is what I want, but for selfish reasons, it would be nice to watch him in Cedar Rapids.

Curious: How did Kirilloff hurt his TJ ligament? Were his throwing mechanics incorrect, or did he simply overdo it with hard throws?

If I lived in the Twin Cities, I think I would be planning a May or June trip to Cedar Rapids to see Kirilloff and Lewis in action before they get pushed up to Fort Meyers.

Yeah, prospect heaven in CR this year ... Although, the above article doesn't make it sound like Kirilloff will be pushed 

I am the skeptic - as usual.  Until he proves himself he is not a top ten prospect let alone #5 for me.  I can only judge a player from time on the field and he has not had enough time to convince me that he should be at this level.  All we have is the fact we drafted him #1, he had a great first year and then he blew out his shoulder.  Rehabilitation is difficult and different for every person.  I know as I am trying to recover from my knee replacement.  I would love to see him be a star, but let him come back and earn his place back on this list. 

Fair enough- what do you think constitutes "proving himself" for a prospect?  Two full seasons somewhere?  A year at AA or above?  I'm never quite sure where that line is for myself and it's interesting to hear what others use.  The age-old potential vs. track record debate, I suppose.  Anyway, just wondering what your personal stance is on that.

I can see the objection to ranking him this high coming off a significant injury that cost him an entire year of development time. but his debut was pretty terrific and TJ has never been as scary a prospect for position players as it is for pitcher. I might have downgraded him a little on the list for it, but not much.

There's something delightful about him playing with Royce Lewis this season, and if they move on a similar track through the system it could be a huge boost for the Twins. Getting two players with all-star ability arriving around the same time really has an enormous impact.

I think he's going to hit. A lot. Looks like he could end up with a plus arm and already seems to be doing well in his decision-making. If he keeps a decent range now that he's adding muscle, he'll be a nice addition in the corner OF spots.

Patience will be key...esp coming off TJ surgery.  But this kid has all the physical makings of a stud.  Has that prototypical LH power swing.

Good question.  He might prove himself in the first month by showing the agility that brought him to us in the first place.  I am not concerned with the stats as much as the ability to show that he has not lost something during rehab.  Until they get on the field they are suspect.  Just like the listings of prospects that include newly acquired players who have not shown the mental adjustments combined with physical attributes.  It is not a long time process and it is not stat driven so in a sense there is no real guideline, I just have my own mental system of processing.  In the same way, I am fine with fast forwarding prospects, letting them get in above their head and see how they handle the challenges - I loved the aggressive promotions of players like Griffey and even Willie Mays who only got 35 games as a Miller before jumping to the majors.  

 

I hope that Kiriloff makes me look bad.  If I were making the prospect list which is beyond my ability I would not have anyone in the top ten that was not in the field the previous year.  I would make a note that if they come back with the same ability they would be ranked???

Thanks- I'd characterize that as however long it takes to show he's back to pre-injury form.  That makes sense to me.

I like him a lot. It's nice to have a OF slugger in our system again. Arcia didn't quite make it and I think he was last true OF slugger we had in our system. Looks like Kiriloff might project to do a bit more offensively than Arcia. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, prospect hopefuls and fans alike.  To ground your upbeat and enthusiastic portrayal of a Minnesota Twins prospect with exponential, sky's the limit power potential.  May we present to you, Exhibit A, Oswaldo Arcia.  Batted .375/14 HRs/58 RBI in 250+ at bats for the Elizabethton Twins in 2010."

- Minnesota Twins Prospect Skeptics

However, I'm a rube and love this kid's smooth swing.  He's shown pretty good plate discipline in his pro debut.  I'd love for him to put some balls across Rockford Rd this summer.

"Ladies and gentlemen, prospect hopefuls and fans alike.  To ground your upbeat and enthusiastic portrayal of a Minnesota Twins prospect with exponential, sky's the limit power potential.  May we present to you, Exhibit A, Oswaldo Arcia.  Batted .375/14 HRs/58 RBI in 250+ at bats for the Elizabethton Twins in 2010."

 

- Minnesota Twins Prospect Skeptics

 

However, I'm a rube and love this kid's smooth swing.  He's shown pretty good plate discipline in his pro debut.  I'd love for him to put some balls across Rockford Rd this summer.

One difference is that Kiriloff's baseball IQ is cited (as is the case for several Twins prospects). Arcia's baseball IQ seemed to extend no further than knowing to grip the bat by the skinny end. Skills are important, of course, but understanding the game and knowing the right play is better than just playing. It could shorten the experience curve needed to move up. 

I remember when he was drafted that some scouts were worried he had a long swing, or slow bat speed, which would limit his upside. Their take on his extremely well-coached approach was that he might already be maxing out his upside and have little room for improvement. I haven't heard any discussion about this since. Has anyone heard anything since then about whether his bat is quick enough to hit major league pitching?

"Ladies and gentlemen, prospect hopefuls and fans alike. To ground your upbeat and enthusiastic portrayal of a Minnesota Twins prospect with exponential, sky's the limit power potential. May we present to you, Exhibit A, Oswaldo Arcia. Batted .375/14 HRs/58 RBI in 250+ at bats for the Elizabethton Twins in 2010."

 

- Minnesota Twins Prospect Skeptics

 

However, I'm a rube and love this kid's smooth swing. He's shown pretty good plate discipline in his pro debut. I'd love for him to put some balls across Rockford Rd this summer.

Is Kiriloff comparable to Jason Kubel?

Is Kiriloff comparable to Jason Kubel?

I'd agree in saying it's definitely not an insult.  Kubel crushed the minors.  Weird he spent 2 seasons in the GCL and then skipped over Elizabethton and all that Dr. Enuf.  Kirilloff does seem very polished at his young age.  He does fit the build of Cuddyer a bit more.  Cuddyer actually went straight to A ball out of high school and hit in the .270's.

I'd expect Kirilloff to be a very steady bat.  I'd have Morneau shadow him in the cage throughout ST.

Curious: How did Kirilloff hurt his TJ ligament? Were his throwing mechanics incorrect, or did he simply overdo it with hard throws?

If I remember correctly it was his non-throwing arm that he hurt.

It was his throwing arm.

Ahh... I stand corrected.   Thank you.