Tigers Star Prospect Kevin McGonigle Shines in Arizona Fall League Game
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The Detroit Tigers have a special player waiting in the wings. Kevin McGonigle, the second overall ranked prospect in baseball, is taking the Arizona Fall League by storm. On Tuesday night, his team the Scottsdale Scorpions lost to the Mesa Solar Sox in a 21-14 slugfest. McGonigle found a way to stand out.
The 21-year old was the leadoff hitter for the Scorpions and went 4-5 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs. He also added a walk.
Kevin McGonigle's Numbers are Unreal
He wasted no time to get the scoring frenzy started. On a 2-0 fastball from Jackson Baumeister, he hammered it 406 feet for a solo blast. That started a five-run first inning for the Scorpions. According to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, McGonigle said, "I got to 2-0, knew a heater was gonna come, so I was on time with it and I turned on it."
He notched a pair of singles before coming up again in the sixth inning. This time he fell behind 1-2 but that didn't matter. He got a changeup at the knees and crushed a three-run shot to give his team the lead.
His numbers in the Fall League have been nothing short of tremendous. After the game he was slashing .404/.514/.737 which is even crazier after starting off 3-for-14. McGonigle has hit four home runs with 16 RBIs. Arguably, the most impressive part of his Fall League campaign is that he has more walks (13) then strikeouts (10).
"I feel like the whole time I've been grinding everything out, getting every at-bat in and taking every pitch as hard as I can. I feel like I've been keeping up with the same thing I've been doing throughout the season and I look forward to keep doing that," McGonigle said to MLB.com.
It's only a matter of time before the number one prospect in the organization makes his MLB debut in Detroit. He possesses power from the left side, elite speed, and a low whiff rate, which the Tigers are desperately looking for in their offense. MLB.com projects he will make his debut next season.
Playing alongside McGonigle in the Fall League is the Tigers No. 9 prospect, Max Anderson. The 23-year old has been just as impressive leading the team in batting average (.488) and OPS (1.552). He also has 16 walks to just nine strikeouts.
The future is bright in Detroit with McGonigle leading the charge. The Tigers will look to bolster a struggling offense through free agency, but they already have some instant offense that's anxiously waiting to make an impact in the big leagues.
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Zion Trammell graduated from TCU in 2023 with a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism. He currently writes for TCU Horned Frogs on SI. In addition to writing, he is the play-by-play voice for Southlake Carroll baseball and hosts a TCU show on the Bleav Network. X: @zion_trammell