Tigers Top Prospect Deemed Best Minor League Hitter in Latest Rankings
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The Detroit Tigers are a team wanting to win now. The Tigers' offseason has been a bit lackluster thus far, but they have not traded Tarik Skubal... yet. Keeping Skubal is a great sign for the upcoming season, but the future in Detroit is bright, considering the prospect they have waiting to make his debut.
The top prospect in Detroit is shortstop Kevin McGonigle. He is just 21 years old, but his bat is already MLB-ready. In fact, McGonigle has already been predicted to win the American League Rookie of the Year award by executives around the league.
McGonigle has earned some more praise from the executives. In the latest poll from MLB Pipeline, McGonigle has been rated to have the best hit tool in the minor leagues.
Kevin McGonigle Has MLB-Ready Bat
His praise to win the AL Rookie of the Year means people around the MLB believe his bat is MLB-ready. The reason this is a little bit shocking is that he has not played at the Triple-A level yet. In fact, McGonigle has taken just 169 Double-A at-bats.
In Double-A last season, the former CB-A draft pick slashed .254/.369/.550 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI. Additionally, the shortstop hit 10 doubles and two triples. He is not much of a threat on the basepaths, but his ability to hit for power is very impressive.
The most impressive part of McGonigle's game is his plate discipline. He does a great job controlling the strike zone, and he rarely strikes out. Over his three minor league seasons, the left-handed batter has struck out just 84 times in 183 games. What is even more impressive is that McGonigle has walked 123 times.
He is just a pure hitter; there is no denying that. He showed off his pure hitting skills in the Arizona Fall League, as well. He slashed .362/.500/.710 and won the AFL MVP award.
McGonigle will most likely start the season in Triple-A, but he should be making his debut in 2026.
McGonigle Needs to Improve His Fielding
Playing shortstop in the big leagues is more than just being a good hitter. You have to be a reliable fielder, as well. Heading into the new season, the Tigers will have Trey Sweeney and Javy Baez captaining the infield. Each of them are capable defenders up the middle in terms of fielding percentage.
Both Baez and Sweeney finished 2026 with respectable fielding percentages at shortstop. In total, Baez finished in the 90th percentile in OAA and 81st percentile in arm strength. Sweeney, on the other hand, was in the ninth percentile in OAA, and his arm is relatively weak compared to the rest of the league.
In Double-A last season, McGonigle made nine errors, and his fielding percentage was under .940. That is not going to cut it at the big league level. The Tigers are going to give him a chance to prove himself, but he has to be smoother in the field.
McGonigle is an incredible hitter. His fielding needs work. Despite his fielding woes, the shortstop will most likely be called up to make his debut in 2026.
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Cameron Zunkel is a sports writer from the western suburbs of Chicago. He played Division-II baseball at the University of Illinois at Springfield where he earned a masters degree in Communication. Cameron also played independent league baseball for the Joliet Slammers and Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League. He has been in journalism for the better part of two years now, and has a passion for baseball specifically. His other work includes writing sports betting articles for ClutchPoints. In his free time, you can catch Cam at the gym, on the golf course, or coaching the youth in the beautiful sport of baseball.