Tigers Top Prospect Kevin McGonigle Heating Up with Third Home Run in Two Games
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At the start of the season, the farm system for the Detroit Tigers was praised as one of the best in all of Major League Baseball, with several prospects who have the chance to be future stars.
As the season has gone on, this reality has only proven to be more true than initially thought. For one Detroit prospect though, the 2025 season has shown potential that not many saw coming. Potential not just to reach the Major Leagues and be a quality player, but to be the future face of the franchise and one of the best hitters on the planet.
Entering the season ranked in the top-50 but not quite seen as elite, Kevin McGonigle has climbed all the way to the No. 2 ranked prospect in baseball during what has been a flat-out clinic of a season for the middle infielder.
McGonigle climbed from High-A West Michigan to Double-A Erie after 36 games in which he slashed an absurd .372/.462/.648, collecting 54 hits and 19 doubles. In the biggest jump in competition yet to Double-A, he has not missed a beat. Over the last two days, it's all starting two click.
McGonigle Starting to Put Everything Together in Minor Leagues
Just one day after blasting two home runs in the same game for the first time in Double-A, McGonigle delivered a clutch 9th inning blast to put his team on top for good:
MLB's No. 2 prospect demolishes his third homer in the past two nights, this one a 9th-inning go-ahead rocket 🚀
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 14, 2025
6 of the 10 hits Kevin McGonigle (@tigers) has delivered this month for the Double-A @erie_seawolves have gone for extra bases. pic.twitter.com/YkljivxLB7
McGonigle has five home runs over his last 14 games, as the power finally starts to show on arguably the best pure hitter in the minor leagues right now. His slash line at Erie in 23 games has been raised to .299/.394/.598, also collecting 15 walks compared to striking out just 11 times.
Kevin McGonigle swats a 2-run homer in his first at-bat as MLB's No. 2 prospect ✌️
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 12, 2025
The 20-year-old shortstop (@tigers) -- currently with the Double-A @erie_seawolves -- is slashing .335/.430/.591 across three levels this season: pic.twitter.com/YvcCalUjo0
Kevin McGonigle hits his second home run of the night, an opposite field shot 💣 pic.twitter.com/Lr2wCR3NyL
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 12, 2025
Could McGonigle Actually Play for Tigers This Year?
Conventional wisdom would suggest McGonigle is going to first have to prove it in Triple-A before Detroit gives any consideration to bringing him up to the big leagues. At the same time though, it's getting more and more difficult to think the 20-year-old is not capable of helping this lineup right now down the stretch.
In all likelihood, the Tigers are going to keep their future superstar in the minor leagues and potentially give him a shot in Toledo at the end of the year. McGonigle will have his chance in next spring's training to prove he's ready and break camp with the team.
With every home run he hits though, his case builds stronger and stronger to try to help this team in October. If McGonigle continues to hit the way he has over the last several weeks, the noise is only going to get louder.
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.