Kirilloff relishes hometown visit with Twins

Alex Kirilloff only had to look over his right shoulder Sunday to see how far his love of baseball has taken him.

Kirilloff, a Plum graduate, started in left field for the Minnesota Twins at PNC Park — a literal stone’s throw from where he stood in 2013 as a Pittsburgh Pirates fan for his hometown team’s National League wild-card game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Less than three years before he became the Twins’ first-round draft choice (15th overall), Kirilloff, 15 at the time, was standing with a buddy on the left field rotunda — “I think the third one up,” he said — for one of the most memorable games in Pirates history.

“Playing baseball and having a travel schedule and what-not, I would go to a handful (of Pirates games) a year,” he said. “My favorite memory was the wild-card game, the Johnny Cueto game. That was one of the coolest atmospheres I’ve ever been a part of. I remember the atmosphere. It felt like the whole stadium was shaking at times. It was definitely a special memory.”

The stakes are more personal for Kirilloff now that he is in his fourth major-league season with the Twins. His appearance Friday night — he struck out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of the Twins’ 3-0 loss — was his first time inside PNC Park as a big-leaguer. He actually took batting practice there as a 9-year-old, invited by a client of his father’s.

“Growing up and watching games here, you kind of envision yourself playing in this ballpark,” he said. “That’s kind of a dream come true. I look at it as a positive thing in the sport. I’m happy to be here and for it to become a reality. It holds a special place in my heart.”

It also can be expensive, with many family and friends in attendance.

“I don’t know (how many),” he said. “I know a lot of people are buying their own tickets, which is better for my wallet than leaving a bunch.”

Only the third WPIAL baseball player in the past eight years drafted in the first round directly from high school, Kirilloff arrived with power potential. While splitting time during the 2018 season in Single-A Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Fort Myers, Fla., he hit 20 home runs, drove in 101 runs, with a .348 batting average and .970 OPS.

In the majors, he’s never played more than 88 games in a season because of two surgeries on his right wrist and another on his right shoulder.

He hit .270 with 11 home runs, 41 RBIs and a .793 OPS last season before he was pulled from the Twins’ postseason roster and underwent a bursectomy to remove a bursa sac from his shoulder. This season, the left-hand-hitting Kirilloff is batting .209 with a .674 OPS, five homers and 20 RBIs in 55 games. He was 0 for 3 Sunday with an RBI groundout before he left the game in the seventh inning for right-hand-hitting pinch-hitter Manuel Margot.

“I’m kind of still getting acclimated and getting experience at the major-league level,” said Kirilloff, who batted sixth in the Twins’ lineup Sunday. “Staying healthy for a full season is my main goal. I’m kind of at the point now where I’m just doing whatever the team needs me to do in whatever roles I fit into, whether that’s playing every day or platooning.

“For me, it’s about showing up every day and preparing, being ready for whatever that role is and doing my best. I’m still learning, still growing, taking care of my body. Just trying to stay on the field is the biggest thing for me right now.”

The injuries have not dampened his confidence.

“I’m definitely confident in my ability,” he said. “I know we have a great team and a great group of guys here, too. A lot of talented players on this roster. It’s just exciting to be a part of, to show up and enjoy what you’re doing every day and give it your all.”

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said the organization continues to trust in Kirilloff.

“From Day One, he kind of stands out from being a talent, especially offensively, who has a knack for finding the barrel, hitting balls hard,” he said. “He’s a good hitter.

“Our game is also a game of timing and getting consistent repetitions. He’s had the challenge of trying to be productive without getting consistent play because of health. He’s done a good job of managing it overall. He just needs to keep taking care of his body in any way shape or form that he can, and he’ll improve and make adjustments and keep going. He’s a guy we believe in.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who was the Twins’ bench coach in 2018 and 2019, saw Kirilloff as a minor-league player in spring training.

“I think he’s a good hitter,” Shelton said. “I liked his swing, and I think he has a chance to be a really good hitter.”