Kevin McGonigle Wastes No Time Making Statement with Tigers This Spring
In this story:
While the spring training opener for the Detroit Tigers is one to forget, there are some positives to take away from their battle against the New York Yankees on Saturday. One being that the franchise's top prospect and second-best prospect in the MLB, Kevin McGonigle, looked sharp.
The former first-round pick from the 2023 MLB Draft got the start at shortstop in a lineup that featured veterans such as Gleyber Torres at second and Colt Keith at third base. Those two names will be important to the development of McGonigle as he continues to chip away to get into the big leagues.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
Reviewing McGonigle's Game
In his first at-bat of the spring, following the leadoff hitter Jahmai Jones, the Tigers' top prospect took an outside pitch the other way and deposited it into left field, collecting Detroit's first hit of the spring. This is the game that the organization has become familiar with in McGonigle.
Standing at first base, Torres ripped a sharp line drive up the middle to push McGonigle into scoring position, which was positive to see from Torres, given how his season ended in 2025.
Keith, who has been a player that McGonigle has looked up to throughout his development, struck out swinging, but the ball trickled away from the Yankees catcher.
McGonigle, seeing the ball get away, made a gusty run to third base and forced an errant throw, resulting in him scoring the first run of the spring for Detroit. Since it's spring training, manager AJ Hinch gave McGonigle a second at-bat, then called it a day for the rookie at the plate.
In his second at-bat, McGonigle put bat-to-ball again, this time lining out to the back-to-back American League MVP Aaron Judge. Regardless of making an out, the Tigers won't complain about McGonigle putting the ball in play, considering how many strikeouts happened last year for Detroit.
Moving Forward
For the remainder of the spring, McGonigle will continue to have the spotlight on him. With a shoulder injury to Trey Sweeney that could push him to the injured list, McGonigle could find his way to the main roster, depending on how well spring training goes.
It wouldn't be surprising for McGonigle to begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A, but he's likely to be the first player called up to the MLB when Detroit needs help. One thing to watch moving forward will be how well he plays in the field, since he's a natural-born hitter at the plate.
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.