Former Plum Standout Alex Kirilloff Announces Retirement from MLB

Minnesota Twins outfielder/first baseman and former Plum High School standout Alex Kirilloff announced his retirement from Major League Baseball after four seasons.

The soon-to-be 27-year-old posted on Twitter/X that he is stepping away from the game, citing numerous injuries he’s encountered in his career.

After nine seasons in professional baseball, I’m announcing my decision to step away from the game today. Baseball has always been a cornerstone of my life. Starting with my childhood in western Pennsylvania, where I grew up as the son of a baseball coach. Spending countless…

— Alex Kirilloff (@AKirilloff19) October 31, 2024

Kirilloff was selected by the Twins with the 15th pick in the 2016 draft and became the highest prep player selected from Pittsburgh since the Pirates took Neil Walker from Pine-Richland with the 11th pick in 2004.

Kirilloff spent four seasons in the minor leagues and established himself as one of the game’s premier prospects before the rarity of making his MLB debut during the postseason in 2020. Kirilloff made his regular season debut in 2021 and went on to slash .248/.309/.412 with 40 doubles, five triples, 27 home runs and 116 RBIs across 249 games in parts of four seasons from 2021-24.

But between his four years in the big leagues, Kirilloff has landed on the injured list seven times, including a stint on the 60-day injured list this past season with a back issue, an injury he’s still recovering from.

“As I navigate the recovery process for my current lower back injury, I’m excited to focus more on my family and explore new opportunities,” he said in his statement. “While this next chapter won’t take place on the field, my story is far from over.”