Former MLB GM's Case for Kevin McGonigle to Make Tigers’ Opening Day Roster
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With opening day less than one week away, the Detroit Tigers have a massive decision to make surrounding their top prospect and the No. 2 overall prospect in Major League Baseball, Kevin McGonigle.
A handful of top prospects who have performed well this spring across the league have already been optioned back to the minor leagues to begin the season, but not McGonigle. In fact, he had another strong performance for Detroit on Saturday against the New York Yankees, both offensively and defensively.
But there is still a world where McGonigle could get sent down before opening day. However, one former MLB general manager believes that the infielder has made his case too strong for the Tigers to ignore.
GM's Thoughts on McGonigle Making the Roster
Jim Bowden, former general manager of the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals turned analyst, was very blunt with his reasons for why the Tigers should have McGonigle on the opening day roster, as seen below.
"In terms of Kevin McGongile, they should let him make their team for 2 reasons: 1. He's MLB ready right now in all phases. 2. If he wins Rookie of the Year, they'll get a 1st round Comp pick by allowing him to make team out of ST," Bowden wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Tigers haven't had this much hype around a prospect in what feels like a long time, and it's very warranted. Detroit was in need of a strong bat at the plate, and when they didn't make that move in the offseason, it might've been a move that was planned in the first place.
One of the only things that could hold McGonigle back from making the roster this season is that he is still very young and hasn't touched each level of the minor leagues just yet. He climbed the ranks and finished 2025 in Double-A, but hasn't made a stop in Triple-A.
It's not common for top prospects to skip Triple-A altogether. But, if the franchise feels he's worth it, it can happen. From what Detroit has seen this spring, along with the Tigers' reluctance to send him down like other top prospects around the league, perhaps he's solidified his spot on the roster.
If he begins the season in the minors, fans will have some uproar about the decision, that's guaranteed. But if he does make the roster, it won't be due to favoritism. It will be because of the hard work he's put in and the future benefit he'll have for the franchise.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.