Tommy John surgery erased Kirilloff's 2017, but he rewarded dynasty-league managers who stayed the course. Among Midwest League hitters with 250 PA, Kirilloff ranked first in AVG (.333), ISO (.274) and wRC+ (176). In late June, the Twins promoted him to the Florida State League, where he led hitters with 250 PA with a .362 AVG -- his 168 wRC+ ranked third in that subset. Kirlloff rarely strikes out (15.3 K%), hits the ball to all fields (Pull% below 43% at Low-A and High-A) and did not show pronounced splits (.980 OPS against RHP, .942 OPS against LHP). He does not sell out to get to his plus power. Kirilloff is a complete hitter with no obvious flaws who has not yet been taught that baseball is supposed to be hard. Given his success in the lower levels, we should not project significant struggles at Double-A or Triple-A. Calls for a big-league promotion in the second half of 2019 will likely fall on deaf ears, setting the stage for an early 2020 MLB debut.

Kirlloff, the 15th overall pick in the 2016 draft, missed the 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March. The lost year of developmental time hurts, but he should be assigned to Low-A for his age-20 season, so he’s not too far behind his contemporaries. His skill set could be more valuable in fantasy than reality, as he is destined for an outfield corner, but could hit enough to profile in the middle of a big-league lineup. Kirilloff has a smooth swing that generates plus raw power combined with an advanced, patient approach at the plate. He should have no trouble doing damage against righties, and while he only hit .275/.322/.375 with two home runs in 80 at-bats against same-handed pitching in the Appalachian League in 2016, it’s too early to say he is destined for the strong side of a platoon. He still has some room to grow at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, and may need some time to find his swing again after a year off.

Kirilloff, the 15th overall pick in the 2016 draft, had a strong professional debut, albeit in a limited sample size. He hit .306 with seven home runs and a .794 OPS in 55 games for Elizabethton of the rookie Appalachian League. The winner of the Perfect Game All-American Home Run Derby, Kirilloff is a converted pitcher and first baseman with the speed, athleticism and range to stick in an outfield corner. He has a smooth swing combined with an advanced, patient approach at the dish. His left-handed stroke is simple yet effective in terms of launching balls into the outfield seats. Kirilloff still has some room to grow at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. It remains to be seen if he can be a true 30-homer threat once he matures, but he can certainly spray the ball to all fields. After the top five hitters from last year's draft class (Nick Senzel, Corey Ray, Kyle Lewis, Mickey Moniak, Blake Rutherford), a case could be made for Kirilloff heading that next tier. He should be rostered in all dynasty leagues where 100-plus prospects are owned.