Alex Kirilloff | OF
Background
The 18-year-old Kirilloff attends Plum High School in Pittsburgh. He jumped onto the draft map last summer with strong showings at various showcase events, which included winning the Perfect Game All-American Classic Home Run Derby. He’s committed to Liberty University.
Scouting Report
Kirilloff, who stands 6-foot-2 and 195 lbs., has a ton of natural power from the left side of the plate. The ball goes a long way when he connects. Kirilloff does have a little bit of a hitch before starting his swing — he loads his hands, pauses for an instant, then swings — that has led to concerns about his ability to hand high-end velocity. Defensively, Kirilloff is a good runner and he’s athletic for his size, allowing him to handle center field. If he has to move to a corner down the line, his arm is plenty strong for right. He’s also played some first base as well. There is true middle of the order potential here, assuming that weird timing issue doesn’t hold him back.
Miscellany
The Yankees hold the 18th overall pick in this year’s draft and Kirilloff is ranked right in that area; in their latest rankings Baseball America had him 15th, MLB.com had him 18th, and Keith Law (sub. req’d) had him 19th. The Yankees have been known to target brute mashers early in the draft (Eric Jagielo, Peter O’Brien, etc.), but Kirilloff offers good athleticism and defense, so while he is a bat first prospect, he’s not a bat only prospect.
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