Pittsburgh Pirates Draft Profile: Part 1

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had recent success with their drafts, but who should they be targeting to continue that trend?

 

We take a look at who the Pirates should, and possibly could, draft with their first pick in the draft. In one month to the day, the Pirates will have to make the decision in a weekend that could shape the future course of the franchise.

We break down two candidates the Pirates have been and should be looking at when their pick comes up at number 22 overall Thursday night, June 9.

Alex Kirilloff – Center Field, Plum Senior High School (PA)

In 2004, the Pirates drafted “the Pittsburgh kid” in Neil Walker out of Pine-Richland High School. If Kirilloff drops to the Pirates at the 22nd overall pick, it would be a good public relations move and good move for the organization’s continued outfield depth to draft a new Pittsburgh kid. Walker was drafted as a catcher, and Kirilloff will be drafted as a center fielder to whichever team takes him on Thursday, June 9. Much like Walker was forced from behind the plate, Kirilloff will likely no longer be taking center stage.

Kirilloff, son of former Pirates’ scout and professional instructor Dave Kirilloff, is not lacking in speed, 6.67 60-yard dash (96% percentile), but some scouts believe he may be better suited for a move to one of the corners. It may work out for the best for him. He has an absolute cannon for an arm at his age, which bodes well for his potential to reach the majors as a right fielder. It doesn’t hurt his case that scouts regularly describe him as being a five tool prospect, as the video below illustrates.

As his high school coach Carl Vollmer puts it, “He (Kirilloff) has excelled on the national stage against elite competition and will be an asset to the organization that selects him.” Like any elite player, Kirilloff was invited to a premier national showcase in 2015. He competed in the Perfect Game All-American Showcase on August 17, 2015 at Petco Park in San Diego. He showed off the versatility of a true athlete as he played not center field, nor right field, but first base, and not only did he play first base, Kirilloff is regarded as one of the best defensive first basemen in the class.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“His approach at the plate and ability to track the ball is already at a pro level.” – Plum baseball coach Carl Vollmer[/pullquote]

While he should perform well enough in the field to be a regular in the outfield, it’s at the plate where Kirilloff will make a living. Regarding his offensive output, Vollmer said, “His approach at the plate and ability to track the ball is already at a pro level. The barrel, simply put, stays in the zone longer than everyone else’s. He has power to all fields.”

He’s definitely not wrong. As the batting practice video below illustrates, Kirilloff has excellent plate awareness and discipline. His smooth swing, hip rotation, and hand movement keeps him from being vulnerable to left-handed pitchers. His bat speed is elite for the level, and he has tremendous raw power, only enhanced by a bat motion path through the zone that naturally elevates and drives the ball. As he continues to add muscle to his frame and get further coaching and refinement, he will only continue to improve.

In the All-American Showcase, Kirilloff participated in the home run challenge – and won. He hit 23 combined home runs between the semi-final and final rounds, including hitting six home runs on his final six swings of the finals round to beat Blake Rutherford 12-11.

[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“He is intelligent, humble, and mature beyond his years.” – Carl Vollmer[/pullquote]

Off the field, he comes from a family which preaches service and dedication to baseball and others. As Vollmer put it, “He is intelligent, humble, and mature beyond his years.” Kirilloff is clearly the type of player a franchise and community would be lucky to have.

Conclusion: Alex Kirilloff has All-Star potential and should at least be average, if not near the league’s best as a defender in right field. With added muscle, he could easily hit close to 30 home runs per season. Despite the Pirates seemingly lacking in lower level pitching talent, the Pirates would be foolish not to draft Kirilloff if he falls to them at the 22nd pick. The Pirates are apparently pretty high on Kirilloff too. With his father’s history in the organization and a scout rumored to be at almost every game, Kirilloff is guaranteed to be on their draft radar. He has committed to Liberty University for the fall, but that should not be a concern, since a three year college stint would do little to nothing to improve his draft profile.

Click here to check out another outfielder the Pirates have been keeping a close eye on before the draft.