"Great hitter but better person" - Luis Arraez, Tyler Wells, Jhoan Duran pen heartfelt responses to Alex Kirilloff’s surprising retirement at age 26

On October 31, Alex Kirilloff announced that he will be retiring from MLB at the age of 26. The news came as an unexpected development to kick off the offseason, and has sparked reaction among the Twins' first baseman's colleagues around the league.

In his statement, Kirilloff conceded that the injuries that have plagued him for much of his young career have become unbearable. Despite being on the roster since the end of the 2020 season. Alex Kirilloff has not even come close to playing a full season.

When Kirilloff took to Instagram to offer a message and words of gratitude for fans and colleagues, many of the first baseman's former teammates commented. Among those were Jhoan Duran, Luis Arraez, and Tyler Wells.

Alex Kirilloff's ex-teammates wish him the best in his retirement

Although he was traded to the Miami Marlins in 2022, Luis Arraez played with Kirilloff for parts of three seasons. Arraez. a multiple time MLB batting champ, claimed that Kirilloff is a "great hitter but better person."

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kirilloff was drafted by the Twins in the first round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft. However, after dealing with injuries in the minors, he did not make his MLB debut until September, 2020, when the Twins played the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card Series.

"Alex Kirilloff gives the @Twins the lead with a 3-run jack!" - MLB

The injury bug bit hard in 2021, when Kirilloff underwent season-ending wrist surgery in July. Wrist issues would continue to linger, and between 2022 and 2023, Kirilloff played in just 104 out of a possible 324 Twins games. The 26 year-old's last MLB game came on June 11 against the Colorado Rockies, before he was placed on the IL with nerve issues.

Alex Kirilloff's decision is a realistic one

Once seen as one of the top prospects within his organization, Kirilloff's seemingly-constant injured status has impacted his career. In his statement, the ex-Twin spoke of the pain relief measures he has had to take, and how it has become too much for him. He continued in his statement:

"It just comes to the point where you have to ask yourself, 'Should I be playing, and how does it affect my quality of life down the road?'"

Alex Kirilloff deserves credit for his self-honesty, and can now choose from a plethora of options regarding his next steps in life.