Inside Kevin McGonigle's journey to MLB and the Tigers veterans he has to beat

If Konnor Griffin is the No. 1 prospect in MLB, Kevin McGonigle is No. 1B. That's no slight to Griffin, who I believe is one of the best prospects in recent memory, but it speaks to just how good a player McGonigle might be.

McGonigle, a 21-year-old who hasn't played an inning of Triple-A baseball yet, entered Spring Training as an underdog to make the Detroit Tigers' Opening Day roster due to his lack of experience. But his raging-hot start to camp continued on Monday with yet another homer:

That swing has Detroit's entire fan base salivating at the possibility of watching him when the Tigers take on the San Diego Padres in the regular-season opener. Here's how that can happen.

Kevin McGonigle scouting report: Why Detroit's infielder is so highly touted

Standing at just 5-foot-9, McGonigle isn't quite as physically imposing as an athletic freak like Griffin, but his tools are as good as anyone's. Just look at how MLB Pipeline grades him as a player.

He isn't quite as gifted as Griffin tools-wise, but there's nothing he isn't good at, and his bat-to-ball skills are as strong as anyone's; despite his smaller frame, he finds a way to hit the ball both hard and far. He's even an above-average runner. He might be a better fit at second base than shortstop long-term, but wherever he ends up, his defense shouldn't cost the Tigers.

This is nothing short of an outstanding player that Detroit has on its hands, and he's done nothing but rake everywhere he's been. Just look at his numbers at each level.

Now, McGonigle's batting averge did take a hit in his first Double-A action this past season, but it's also worth noting that he had a very strong .369 OBP and he hit 12 home runs in just 46 games. He still had an OPS above .900 despite hitting just .254, which speaks to his ability to draw walks and do damage even when base hits aren't falling. McGonigle also walked seven more times than he struck out (33 to 26), so it's safe to say he hit into a good amount of bad luck, too.

McGonigle does just about everything well offensively, and while he's primarily been a shortstop, he's seen time at second base and even third base as well, giving him multiple paths to contributing to the Tigers beginning this season.

Will Kevin McGonigle make the Tigers' Opening Day roster?

Whether that starts on Opening Day, though, remains to be seen. Ultimately, this will come down to how ready the Tigers think he is. If Spring Training is any indication, the choice is obvious.

McGonigle entered Monday having gone 6-for-19 (.353 BA) with three extra-base hits and three walks thus far in camp, slashing .316/.435/.526. Oh yeah, and those numbers didn't even include a home run in a raucous atmosphere on the first pitch he saw in an exhibition game against the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic team.

Luis Severino is a proven MLB pitcher, and McGonigle just didn't care: He met the moment and launched a moonshot. What's even crazier is that this was only one of his three hits on the night, two of which came with exit velocities at 100 mph or more. He even drew a walk in this game as well, reaching in all four plate appearances.

McGonigle is going to need more reps, but if he continues to hit like this, why can't he make the Opening Day roster? He's proven he can perform in a big-league environment, so if he has a strong spring, he should be on the team.

Roadblocks in the way of Kevin McGonigle's MLB debut

McGonigle's issue is that he's on a team trying to not only compete, but ensure that it has a strong future even beyond when Tarik Skubal is likely to depart as a free agent. This means that the Tigers will only include McGonigle on their Opening Day roster if they're 100 percent certain he's ready, especially since they have other playable veterans on their roster. Here are some whom McGonigle will have to beat out to make the team.

INF/OF Javier Baez

With Gleyber Torres and Colt Keith just about locked in as the Tigers' second baseman and third baseman, respectively, McGonigle's path to the Opening Day roster is as the team's starting shortstop. (No, the Tigers won't roster him as a bench player; McGonigle must earn a starting role.)

Baez is going to make the team no matter what, but the Tigers aren't as committed to him as a starter as they would be to McGonigle. If McGonigle proves he's a better option at shortstop than Baez, he might make the team. But if Baez is the better player right now, why would the Tigers start McGonigle's service time clock?

SS Trey Sweeney

Trey Sweeney is another shortstop option in the mix for Detroit. He led the team with 82 starts and 113 appearances at the position in 2025 and offers above-average speed, but his defense took a step back last season and his bat has never been good, as his career .573 OPS would indicate.

If Sweeney is making the team, what role would McGonigle play? If Sweeney wouldn't play shortstop at least some of the time, why would the Tigers bother rostering him, since second base and third base are filled? Detroit could get creative and find a way to roster both of them, but in reality, if Sweeney is on the Opening Day roster, there's a good chance McGonigle isn't.

2B/3B Max Anderson

The Tigers announced several roster cuts on Monday, including top prospects like Max Clark and Hao-Yu Lee. Notably, though, McGonigle and Max Anderson remain with the big-league team. This doesn't guarantee anything, but the fact that they're being given longer looks suggests their chances of breaking camp in the Majors aren't zero.

With that being said, for McGonigle to make the team, he's likely going to have to beat Anderson, another infield prospect, out. Now, Anderson is not a shortstop, but the odds of the Tigers allowing two rookies who haven't played a single MLB game to crack their Opening Day roster are rather slim, especially since both would likely need regular at-bats.

I just don't see it with Anderson, a player who, while he's reached Triple-A, did not tear the cover off the ball at that level. Plus, he plays second base and third base, positions that are covered in Detroit. If the Tigers find room for Anderson, it'll likely come at McGonigle's expense.

More MLB news and analysis: