Tigers Star Prospect Kevin McGonigle Continues to Rake in Arizona Fall League
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The future of the Detroit Tigers organization is bright, with plenty of young talent coming up the minor league pipeline. The franchise has tons of players to choose from to supplement their already impressive roster long-term. Some of their top prospects are already nearing an MLB debut, which gives them even more ammunition to build with following another difficult postseason exit.
The top name in their farm system is middle infielder Kevin McGonigle, currently listed as the No. 1 Tigers prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Currently in Double-A, he has a little bit more work to do to find himself on the MLB roster, but odds are, he will find himself there sometime in 2026, provided he continues to produce at the level he has been.
Kevin McGonigle had a season to remember.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) October 17, 2025
He posted a .991 OPS across three levels, upped his home run total to 19 and became Baseball America's No. 2 overall prospect.
But he knew there was still work to be done, and he's getting help from a Hall of Famer:… pic.twitter.com/ODbigj3t4s
Now, with a chance to play in the Arizona Fall League, he can take things to a whole new level while playing against prospects from many different levels of competition. The No. 2 prospect in the MLB has already shown plenty to be promoted again in the near future, and with the AFL being his next big hurdle to clear, he is already proving why he is so highly regarded.
How Has McGonigle Performed in the Arizona Fall League So Far?
So far, McGonigle has had the chance to play in seven games in the AFL, and in that span, he is slashing .280/.441/.440 with eight runs, five RBI, four doubles, two stolen bases, seven walks and five strikeouts. His plate discipline has been outstanding in that period of time, and it is clear that he is only showing signs of improvement as time goes on.
As for his fielding, he has played 52.1 innings between third base and shortstop, with six putouts and 10 assists on 16 chances, along with two double plays and no errors. A perfect 1.000 fielding rate from those two positions is extremely impressive, even in a small sample size, and hopefully something that remains sustainable for him alongside his already strong offensive output.
One would assume that Detroit has seen pretty much everything it needs to see from the infielder and could find a Triple-A spot for him to start off 2026 if all goes well within the first month or two. Rushing him is ill-advised, which is likely why they gave him this opportunity in the fall to get some extra reps while they continued to evaluate him as he developed.
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Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.