Tigers' Kevin McGonigle Shines Despite Underwhelming Stat Line in MLB Futures Game
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The Detroit Tigers were well represented at the 2025 MLB Futures Game held this weekend in Atlanta as part of the All-Star weekend festivities.
Catcher/first baseman Josue Briceno had one of the highlights of the game, hitting a standup triple. He is quickly cementing his status as the top backstop in the organization ahead of Thayron Liranzo.
The team’s No. 1-ranked prospect, center fielder Max Clark, also had himself some highlights in the game.
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One of his elite skills, speed, was on full display.
He stole second base after drawing a walk in his first plate appearance and then showcased his sprinting ability by beating out an infield single in his second at-bat.
The Tigers had a third star prospect, shortstop Kevin McGonigle, who participated in the game, too.
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He didn’t have highlights like his teammates did, going 0-for-2 at the plate.
Alas, the box score doesn't always tell the whole story about how a player performed on the field.
As Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required) noted, McGonigle had one of the most impressive 0-for-2 showings he has seen.
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“Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle had the most impressive 0-for-2 day, as he squared up a pair of pitches for a flyout to deep right-center and another to left field,” the former MLB executive wrote.
Hitting the ball hard is usually a good indicator of long-term success. There will be a few bad breaks along the way, but McGonigle showed the immense upside that he possesses even without recording a hit.
Along with Clark, he has a chance to become the top-ranked prospect in baseball, which speaks volumes to just how talented he is.
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The two young stars will be playing with each other for the foreseeable future after both were recently promoted to Double-A Erie after dominating with a .372/.462/.648 slash line in 171 plate appearances with High-A West Michigan.
A first-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft after Clark, both are going to eventually be key cogs in Detroit sustaining success in the future.
For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.