Kevin McGonigle Changed The Narrative Surrounding Tigers in Spring Training
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The Detroit Tigers are just days away from Opening Day for what promises to be an extremely exciting season with legitimate championship potential, something which has not been the case for a long time.
Following back-to-back trips to the ALDS, Detroit spent with urgency this winter, and fans are buzzing to see the season get underway in the Motor City. Entering spring training though, some had concerns about the offense after most of the moves came to address the pitching staff.
Coming out of spring, those concerns have turned into anticipation for the debut of top prospect Kevin McGonigle, something which looks like it very well may be on Opening Day. Whether the Tigers do or don't put the youngster on the roster out of the gate though, he has changed the entire outlook.
Fans who were upset to not see pursuits of free agents like Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette got a firsthand account as to why that was the case as the slugger emerged and became a household name this spring.
McGonigle's Breakout Has Completely Changed Tigers Perception
Going into the spring, Detroit fans were obviously very aware of their own top prospect, but McGonigle has become a household name across baseball with the way he's hit the ball during camp to establish himself as a future star.
Slashing .250/.423/.500 across 19 games, opposing fanbases have become keenly aware of just who this kid is and what he may bring to the Tigers. Not only is McGonigle capable of solving the team's issue on the left side of the infield, he might just be the answer to their offensive woes from down the stretch and in October as well.
Detroit didn't need to go out and spend on a veteran this spring because they have a guy who is already hitting like one at the age of 21 in his first big league spring training. His debut may or may not be out of the gate, but either way, there is legitimate excitement about this offense that was not there entering spring.
McGonigle Could Be Final Bat Tigers Need to Win a Championship
Detroit is a team with an open championship window, and though they did not spend big on offense this offseason, adding someone like McGonigle into the lineup could wind up being worth more than any high-priced free agent.
With how dominant the pitching staff may be after adding Framber Valdez, the presence of McGonigle assures that this team is in a better spot on both sides of the ball than they were a year ago.
The Tigers have a lot of work to do in order to accomplish the goals they set out for themselves at the start of the spring, but they are well on their way to doing just that. Having McGonigle on the team -- even if it's not right away -- pushes Detroit towards that ultimate quest of bringing a World Series home for the first time since 1984.
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.