Alex Kirilloff’s new home is the big question facing the Minnesota Twins at DH.
The Minnesota Twins have more options at designated hitter this season than they had for most of the previous five seasons.
For them, possibilities are not closed off by injuries or a strictly defined role for a limited athlete. Having said that, there is one player who is most likely to spend the most of the season in that position, and he raises some serious concerns.
Byron Buxton was kept in the lineup, and injured players were helped off the field by the Twins last year by using the designated hitter role.
A new player can play designated hitter (DH) full-time, at least to begin the season, as Buxton plans to play center field this year.
When facing right-handed pitchers, Alex Kirilloff is probably going to be the starting designated hitter, with superior defense Carlos Santana covering first base.
With Kirilloff taking on a new job, Twins supporters have been wondering if Kirilloff will finally have a successful and healthy season since 2021. It’s easy to have doubts about the former #1 prospect.
His career high of ninety games in a season has been broken by a few ugly slumps in which his trademark line drives to left center field were swapped out for simple ground balls to second base and strikeouts.
Since he won’t be playing much at first base this season, Kirilloff will need to improve his offensive output in order to contribute.
Less time at first base should keep him healthy enough to develop into the type of hitter Twins fans have always imagined.
Which are the important factors?
Well-being
Since 2021, Kirilloff has experienced ongoing health problems, primarily with his wrist. In July 2021, he had surgery to fix a damaged ligament. He attempted to recover from that surgery in 2022, but the pain persisted, making it difficult for him to play.
He underwent another treatment in August 2022, wherein a portion of his ulna bone was shaved in an attempt to alleviate the agony.
Following a delayed start to the season and spending the first few months of 2023 on the disabled list, Kirilloff was able to eventually overcome his wrist troubles. However, a fresh problem surfaced in July, from which he never fully recovered.
After missing much of the season due to an injury to his shoulder, Kirilloff was not the same—or, to put it another way, he was his same old, mainly ineffectual self.
He had a second surgery to fix his shoulder after the season. Hopefully, his shoulder cooperates and the wrist problems are in the past, allowing him to play at his peak for the entire season.
Achievement
Because of all the concerns about Kirilloff’s health, his performance is no longer a priority. For brief moments, it seems as though we’ve seen him at his best, but things quickly go wrong.
He demonstrated this admirably in May 2023, when he recorded an amazing 167 wRC+. Although it appeared that we would eventually get the hitter we had been promised, he struggled in June and played well (but not exceptionally well) the remainder of the season.
Although Kirilloff’s May 2023 performance is unlikely to repeat, the Twins can still greatly benefit from his presence in the lineup and DH plan if they can bring him close to that level of play.
Kirilloff’s 2023 season came to an agonizing end as he was left off the playoff squad due to his offensive shortcomings and his inability to make a crucial play at first base during the decisive Game 3 defeat to Houston.
He obviously has great hitting potential, and if he can stay healthy for the majority of the 2024 season, he will be a valuable addition to the lineup. If not, Trevor Larnach, Brooks Lee, and other people will try to fire him from his position.
