Fans are often skeptical about the latest hot baseball prospect.
It’s understandable. Far more times than not, at least when it comes to being genuine MLB stars, they don’t pan out.
Projections are unpredictable in all sports, but especially baseball.
But make no mistake. The odds of Tigers’ infield prospect Kevin McGonigle becoming a bone fide star are far greater than a typical phenom.
Turning just 21 this week, McGonigle just hits and hits and hits.
Double A was supposed to be a challenge for him. It hasn’t been. The final frontier appeared to be hitting high velocity fastballs. A left-handed hitter, he turned on a 100.2 mph heater up and in on Tuesday and absolutely crushed it. The ball cleared a building beyond the right field wall at Erie that is rarely reached. There was no exit velocity registered because the trajectory was above where Hawkeye tracking is detectable.
High velocity, evidently, isn’t an issue for McGonigle.
The Tigers definitely have a chance to win the World Series.
Should they add McGonigle to the mix?
Normally, this would be viewed in baseball circles as a ridiculous notion.
But this isn’t a normal hitter, either.
The best players don’t take the usual developmental curve. Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alan Trammell were 19 when they made their MLB debuts. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ronald Acuña,
Lou Whitaker and George Brett were 20. Examples of top-flight MLB position players making their MLB debuts at 21 or younger is endless.
McGonigle has essentially a full-season of minor league games under his belt. He has power, he rakes vs. lefties and has superior plate discipline.
Of course, baseball is more than just about hitting. McGonigle’s defense isn’t remotely equal to his offense at this stage. His fielding actions at shortstop are excellent, but he kicks too many routine plays. His arm strength is iffy for an MLB shortstop. It’s why he was widely projected as a second baseman when drafted. McGonigle is a plus runner and has plenty of twitch athleticism.
A comparison as a hitter would be that he is a left-handed version of Alex Bregman. He should become at least an average MLB defender, but that would be a reach at this point, and it ultimately might be at second base.
The Tigers have multiple shortstops, Javy Baez, Trey Sweeney and Zach McKinstry.
If McGonigle were to replace anybody, it would be Sweeney, who has a minus 0.3 WAR and .592 OPS in 2025.
Sweeney is an average MLB fielder at short, who sometimes struggles inexplicably with routine throws.
But he is better defensively than McGonigle at this stage.
It’s easy to envision the Tigers getting McGonigle’s bat into the lineup.
He could be a difference maker come the postseason. Especially given the Tigers’ American League Central lead is expanding again, it might be worth seeing if McGonigle’s bat already plays up to the MLB level, and he is OK with the glove.
There is virtually nothing to lose by giving McGonigle a shot, and perhaps very much to gain.