Home-schooled Kirilloff could land in 1st round

PITTSBURGH — Alex Kirilloff’s path to the Draft is not the typical one, but it’s seeming more and more likely it’s going to end where every amateur player dreams of landing: squarely in the first round.

In many ways, Kirilloff is the typical highly-thought of prep player, putting up gaudy numbers on a high school team in front of tons of scouts, hanging out and texting with his friends. But then the story diverges from the typical plot.

While the sweet-swinging left-handed outfielder plays for Plum High School, just outside of Pittsburgh, he does not attend classes there. Instead he studies at home, part of the Pennsylvania Cyber School, a public charter school with online courses. His daily schedule isn’t exactly the norm.

“My routine in the morning consists of me waking up between 8 and 9 usually. I try to switch it up, whether I’m doing it in my room, downstairs, sometimes go out to a Panera or a Starbucks,” Kirilloff said. “I’m usually doing work in the morning to about 11-12, then I have the rest of the day to do the rest of my business.

“Typically, on game days, I usually get done with my work, eat lunch, go to the field, take batting practice and play the game.”

• 2016 MLB Draft: June 9-11 on MLB Network, MLB.com

He plays it extremely well. A mainstay on the summer showcase circuit, Kirilloff opened many eyes with his easy power from the left side, winning the home run derby at the Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego. He’s “done what he’s supposed to,” as one scout put it, this spring, separating himself from some other high school hitters and attracting a ton of attention from teams picking all over the first round, as high as the top 10.

How is it that a kid who has been home schooled for most of his life — with a five-year exception at tiny Cheswick Christian Academy — could become such a good hitter? That’s where his path takes another unusual turn.

Kirilloff’s father, David, was a solid amateur in his own right, but his career ended because of a blood clot disorder. He did some scouting and got into coaching before eventually finding his true passion: teaching hitting. He’s run an indoor facility for baseball and softball players for years and his son, Alex, has been his prime pupil for nearly his entire …

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