Alex Kirilloff has announced his retirement after four seasons with the Minnesota Twins.
The 26-year-old hit .248 with 27 home runs and 116 RBI in 249 games in 2024.
Injuries significantly impacted the career of the No. 15 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. Kirilloff missed the entire 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and once he reached the majors he never played more than 88 games per season, a reason he cited in his retirement announcement.
“In my nine professional seasons, I have encountered countless injuries that have left me looking for new ways to overcome the pain,” Kirilloff wrote on Instagram. “These challenges have taken their toll mentally and physically; over time I have realized that my passion for playing the game has changed. Baseball requires an ‘all-in’ approach, something I have every season I can no longer give it the total effort it requires. I have always believed that playing this game requires 110% effort, and anything less would not do justice to my teammates, coaches, fans or the game itself. “
A highly touted prospect out of Pennsylvania, Kirilloff was on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. He made his MLB debut in 2021, with eight home runs and a .722 OPS in 59 games with the Twins. but his rookie season ended prematurely when he required surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist. New surgery on that same wrist led to his second MLB season being cut short after 45 games.
Kirilloff’s best season came in 2023, when he played 88 games and hit .288 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI. A shoulder injury caused him to miss a month of action, and later that year he required a bursectomy on the same shoulder.
Kirilloff started the 2024 season with the Twins, but was placed on the injured list in June due to a back problem. He was scheduled to return in August, but a rehabilitation assignment was halted after one game and he did not play the rest of the season.
